Successful nonoperative management of secondarily infected pulmonary pseudocyst: case report

Abstract

Pulmonary contusion is a frequent sequelae of blunt chest trauma. If significant shear forces are encountered during energy transfer to the chest wall, pulmonary laceration may result. Most traumatic pulmonary lacerations resolve spontaneously. However, secondary infection of a posttraumatic laceration often leads to serious complications that may be lethal. We report a case of a secondarily infected pulmonary laceration resulting from blunt trauma that was successfully treated by computerized tomogram-guided drainage and review the literature on this unusual complication.