title: Chronic bronchopleural fistula in conservatively-treated calcified fibrothorax.
abstract: We describe two cases of a bronchopleural fistula developing in a calcified fibrothorax several decades after the initial pleurisy. In a follow-up lasting many years, the fistulae are persistent, with only minor symptoms. We suggest that this benign course without serious illness is due to the fact that the calcified shell effectively seals off the infection, and that a conservative approach is likely to be successful.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Respiratory Diseases, De Wever Ziekenhuis, Heerlen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sulzer
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: van Noord
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001983:Bronchial Fistula / Q000150:complications*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005355:Fibrosis; D005402:Fistula / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D010998:Pleurisy / Q000150:complications; D013997:Time Factors; D000267:Tissue Adhesions