title: Thoracic empyema in a patient with acute appendicitis: a rare association.
abstract: Thoracic empyema and appendicitis rarely are concomitant. This is the first report of ultrasonography and computed tomography being used preoperatively to establish the diagnosis of ruptured appendicitis in a child with thoracic empyema. The perforated appendicitis was identified after gastrointestinal flora were cultured from the thoracostomy drainage of the empyema.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herline
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hatley
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous