Current aspects of diagnostics and surgical treatment of acute lung abscesses

Abstract

Increasing number of lung diseases, unfavorable environmental factors, dissemination of infectious agents in a patient's body result in increased frequency of purulent-septic complications, thereby making the study on methods of their diagnosis and treatment relevant. Aim of the work: to examine the diagnostic value of lung ultrasound (US) and spiral computed tomography (SCT) in the diagnosis of acute abscesses and in determining the tactics of surgical treatment. Materials and methods. A prospective study of 40 cases of acute lung abscesses with diagnostic value of US and SCT examination to choose a surgical method in accordance with the type of acute lung abscess. Results. Male was dominated in the study (82.5 %). The median age was 52 (43.5; 60.0) years. SCT revealed an abscess with sequestration in 9 (22.5 %) of 40 patients, which was confirmed during surgery. A false negative result was obtained in 5 (35.7 %) patients out of 14. Lung US revealed sequestration in 14 (35.0 %) patients: 2 (14.3 %) of them were false positive. Transthoracic drainage was performed in 24 (92.3 %) of 26 patients without sequestration. In 2 (7.7 %) cases – video abscessoscopy (VAS). The median length of hospital stay was 34.5 (29.0; 43.0) days for patients without sequestration and 32.0 (26.0; 35.0) – with sequestration, Р = 0.16. Conclusions. Modern radiation imaging is an effective tool for the diagnosis of lung abscess. The sensitivity and specificity of computed tomography was 64.3 % and 100.0 %, sonography – 85.7 % and 92.3 %, respectively, in the study. The concurrent use of these diagnostic methods increases their information content: sensitivity up to 100.0 %, specificity up to 92.3 %. Video abscessoscopy with sequestrectomy is an effective method of treatment and etiological diagnosis of the process, which allows achieving the length of hospital stay comparable to patients without sequestration: 32.0 (26.0; 35.0) vs 34.5 (29.0; 43.0), Р = 0.16.