Cavity behavior in acute, primary, nonspecific lung abscess.

Abstract

During a 10-year period, 60 patients with 63 episodes of acute, primary, nonspecific lung abscess were treated with oral antimicrobial agents. There were 71 cavities, the courses of which were observed on serial radiographs. Cavity size was measured on each film until the defect was undiscernible or the patient was lost to follow-up. Initial size varied from 1 to 7 cm with a normal distribution. After beginning effective therapy, the cavity disappeared within 2 weeks in 13 per cent, 4 weeks in 44 per cent, 6 weeks in 59 per cent, and 3 months in 70 per cent. The most striking observation was that of 56 cavities for which radiographs were available more than 91 days after therapy was begun; 53 had disappeared and the presence of the remaining 3 was uncertain. Larger cavities disappeared more slowly than smaller ones, and cavities in the right upper lobe tended to disappear more slowly than those in other locations.