ABSTRACT
The accumulation of purulent material in the pleural space is termed ‘empyema or empyema thoracis’. Usually a complication of inflammation or an infection within or adjacent to the pleural space, empyema rarely resolves spontaneously because host defenses are limited by the anatomy and physiology of the pleural space. In children, the majority of cases occur as a result of pneumonia. However, infection of the chest wall or a subphrenic abscess can also lead to empyema. In the United States, among children less than 18 years of age, the annual empyemaassociated hospitalization rate increased nearly 70 percent between 1997 and 2006, despite decreases in the rates of bacterial pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease, and the utilization of the conjugate pneumococcal vaccine.
