CASE REPORT article
Front. Med.
Sec. Infectious Diseases: Pathogenesis and Therapy
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1621689
A case of tuberculous empyema causing rupture of the diaphragm was misdiagnosed as diaphragmatic hernia
Provisionally accepted
- Guiyang Public Health Clinical Center, guiyang, China
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Mycobacterium tuberculosis that invades the pleural cavity. Initially, fluid accumulates in the pleural space, followed by an influx of neutrophils, which gradually develops into purulent fluid. This process can eventually lead to pleural thickening and calcification, restricting lung expansion and impairing lung function. Additionally, empyema can extend outward through weaknesses in the chest wall, forming abscesses in the soft tissues outside the thoracic cavity. The combination of anti-tuberculosis medications and surgical intervention is a crucial treatment approach for tuberculous empyema. We report a case of tuberculous empyema that invaded the diaphragm, resulting in diaphragmatic rupture and the formation of a subcapsular liver abscess, which was initially misdiagnosed as a diaphragmatic hernia. The patient showed significant improvement and was discharged following surgical treatment.
Keywords: Tuberculous, Empyema, Diaphragm rupture, subcapsular liver, Thoracic Surgery
Received: 02 May 2025; Accepted: 28 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Tao, Zhou, Li and Xu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Liu Tao, Guiyang Public Health Clinical Center, guiyang, China
Jingfeng Xu, Guiyang Public Health Clinical Center, guiyang, China
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