Despite the use of broad spectrum antibiotics and pleural drainage, thoracic empyema in children sometimes fails to improve, being responsible for long hospital stay and mortality rates ranging from 1,5% to 5%. To minimize these problems Kosloske proposed early lung decortication in selected patients. Those patients with empyema septation, persistent bronchopleural fistula or failure of pulmonary expansion were considered to early lung decortication. Reviewing 150 patients at different ages, with thoracic empyema, in a 5 year period, the authors proceeded early decortication in ten. Eighty-one boys and 64 girls aged 1 month to 13 years were first managed with broad spectrum antibiotics and pleural drainage with failure to improve. After a thoracic CT scan evaluation these patients were operated on through a limited thoracotomy having evacuation of intrapleural debris, gelatinous and fibrinous material. The devitalized lung parenchima was resected and the raw surface sewn with 4-0 synthetic absorbable sutures. Good pulmonary expansion and clinical improvement were achieved in all patients. They were discharged home before the tenth postoperative day, in good clmical conditions. There were no deaths and no significant morbidity among those children. The authors conclude that in selected cases early decortication must be considered as a possibility to the treatment.
Lung decortication; Pleural empyema; Chronic lung suppuration