Tuberc Respir Dis.  1999 Apr;46(4):591-595. 10.4046/trd.1999.46.4.591.

A Case of Pulmonary Gangrene Associated with Obstructive Pneumonia Due to Non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma

• Kim SJ
• Um TC
• Moon KA
• Kim PH
• Kim SH
• Jeoung BO
• Lee HP
• Kim JI
• Yum HK
• Choi SJ

• KMID: 2050123
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1999.46.4.591

Abstract

Pulmonary gangrene is a rare complication of severe pulmonary infection in which a pulmonary segment or lobe is sloughed. It is a part of a spectrum of disease in which lung tissue is devitalized(such as necrotizing pneumonia, pulmonary abscess), but apart from them, pulmonary gangrene has mo re extensive area of necrosis and thrombosis of large vessels plays a prominent role in the pathogenesis. We experienced a case of pulmonary gangrene in 71 year old female obstructive pneumonia patient with non-small cell lung carcinoma. She complained high fever, chill and despite treatment with antibiotics, pneumonia progressed to empyema. At that time chest radiograph showed a large cavity including sloughed lung tissue, freely moving to dependent position at both lateral decubitus view. RML and RLL were resected and compression of pulmonary vessels by enlarged lymph nodes was observed. Defervescence was obtained immediate postoperative period and the patient was discharged after infection control with antibiotics, chest tube drainage. The perivascular ly mph nodes dissected during lobectomy were proved to be reactive hyperplasias. We speculated that the carcinoma caused obstructive pneumonia, in turn, resulted in reactive hyperplasia of the draining lymph nodes surrounding the large vessels and finally the lung tissues supplied by them necrotized and sloughed.

Keyword

Pulmonary gangrene; Obstructive pneumonia; Lung carcinoma

MeSH Terms

Aged
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Chest Tubes
Drainage
Empyema
Female
Fever
Gangrene*
Humans
Hyperplasia
Infection Control
Lung*
Lymph Nodes
Necrosis
Pneumonia*
Postoperative Period
Radiography, Thoracic
Thrombosis
Anti-Bacterial Agents