title: Bronchopleural fistula following M. abscessus infection 11 years after lobectomy for lung cancer.
abstract: Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) is a potentially fatal complication of lung cancer resection surgery that occurs during the healing process of the bronchial stump. However, the vulnerability of the healed surgical wound to overlapping acquired airway destruction has not yet been determined in detail. We herein present a case of fatal BPF following Mycobacterium abscessus (M. abscessus) infection, which occurred 11 years after right upper lobectomy for lung cancer. The findings of the present study suggest that patients with M. abscessus pulmonary disease in which airway destruction is progressing towards the bronchial stump of previous lobectomy should be considered for early completion pneumonectomy to prevent fatal BPF.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, National Hospital Organization National Kochi Hospital, 1-2-25 Asakuranishimachi, Kochi, 780-8077 Japan.
authors.forename: Mami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inayama
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shinohara
authors.forename: Mitsuteru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hino
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hatakeyama
authors.forename: Fumitaka
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ogushi
keywords: Airway destruction; Empyema; Rapidly growing nontuberculous mycobacteria