title: [A case of post-tuberculosis chronic empyema with effective low-dose, long-term clarithromycin administration].
abstract: A 78-year-old woman with post-tuberculosis chronic empyema who underwent unsuccessful decortication in July 1993, was admitted to our hospital in November 1994 because of M. tuberculosis in her sputum. One month after anti-tuberculosis treatment, the M. tuberculosis disappeared from the sputum, but a pleurocutaneous fistula that exuded abundant bloody pus containing Pseudomonas aeruginosa persisted in the area of chronic empyema. In July 1997, 200 mg of clarithromycin (CAM) was administered daily; 21 months later, the pus and pleurocutaneous fistula had disappeared. Post-tuberculosis chronic empyema with a fistula is generally an intractable condition that necessitates surgery. In this case, the empyema did not improve during the 4 years after the surgery. However, low-dose, long-term CAM administration brought about a disappearance of pus from the fistula and closure of the empyema spaces.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, National Saishunso Hospital, 2659 Suya, Nishigoshi-machi, Kikuchi-gun, Kumamoto 861-1196, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nanba
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shirakawa
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Naoe
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017577:Cutaneous Fistula / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D004653:Empyema / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005402:Fistula / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017291:Clarithromycin