title: Mediastinal abscess due to passage of a broncholith.
abstract: We report a case of a 32-year-old woman who, after passage of broncholiths, developed a mediastinal abscess that required surgical drainage for treatment. Previously reported infectious complications resulting from broncholiths include obstructive pneumonitis and recurrent aspiration pneumonitis secondary to bronchoesophageal fistulas. Because radiographic evidence of abnormal calcification in the chest is common, but rarely is associated with broncholithiasis, the patient's history of lithoptysis was crucial to determining the underlying etiology of her abscess.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. sean_studer@mssm.edu
authors.forename: Sean M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Studer
authors.forename: Richard F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Heitmiller
authors.forename: Peter B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Terry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001982:Bronchial Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D002137:Calculi / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae; D006801:Humans; D008169:Lung Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D008480:Mediastinitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed