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Case Reports
. 2011 Mar;3(1):74-6.
doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2010.11.8.

Complication of warfarin therapy presenting as empyema

Paresh Kumar Kuba  1 , Jasvinder Sharma, Ashok K Sharma
Affiliations
Case Reports

Complication of warfarin therapy presenting as empyema

Paresh Kumar Kuba et al. J Thorac Dis. 2011 Mar.

Abstract

A number of risk indices have been formulated in an attempt to predict risk of a major hemorrhage in an individual on warfarin therapy. No single index to date is able to reliably predict this risk in an individual patient. Although most warfarin related hemorrhages are gastrointestinal or intracranial in origin this case represents a particularly rare entity of a major hemorrhage presenting as an encysted empyema. To the best of our knowledge this has never before been described.

Keywords: empyema; hematology; lung; thoracotomy..

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Figures

Fig 1.
Fig 1.. Chest radiograph showing consolidation of the right middle and lower lobes and air fluid level in the right midzone.
Fig 2.
Fig 2.. Computerized tomography showing rounded opacity over the right mid-zone, pleural in origin.
Fig 3.
Fig 3.. Right middle and lower lobes exposed by posterlateral thoracotomy, revealing encysted collection and ecchymosis.
Fig 4.
Fig 4.. Evacuated right lower lobe collection and visceral pleura open.
Fig 5.
Fig 5.. Evacuated right middle lobe collection with visceral pleura open.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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