title: Chronic percutaneous gallstone discharge following videothoracoscopic decortication.
abstract: Computed tomographic imaging is not recommended as an essential prerequisite in surgery for pleuro-pulmonary sepsis in the current guidelines. We highlight one consequent pitfall and its sequelae. We report the discharge of gallstones through a healed intercostal drain site four months following video-assisted thoracic surgery for early pleural empyema secondary to missed calculous gallstone disease. The importance of awareness and a high index of suspicion to diagnose the underlying extra-thoracic cause of a right-sided pleural collection in a patient with a previous history of gallstone disease cannot be overemphasised.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Heart and Lung Centre, New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton WV10 0QP, UK.
authors.forename: Jayanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nandi
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yiu
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D002761:Cholangitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004322:Drainage; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D042882:Gallstones / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D016717:Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome