Lung abscess causes
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Ogheneochuko Ajari, MB.BS, MS [2] ,Aditya Ganti M.B.B.S. [3]
Overview
Overview
Lung abscess is commonly caused by bacterial infections and these include bacteroides, peptostreptococcus and prevotella. Most of the lung abscess is caused by polymicrobial organisms,of which anaerobes play a crucial role. Less common include nocardia, actinomyces and fungi.
Causes
Causes
Life-threatening causes
- Include conditions which may result in death or permanent disability within 24 hours if left untreated.
- Aerobic bacteria are most commonly associated with rapid and flumiant course with high grade fever and worsening symptoms. These bacteria Include Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumonia.
Microbiology
- About 90% of the lung abscess is caused by polymicrobial infection.[1] [2]
- Anaerobes are the predominant pathogens involved in primary lung abscess, followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae.
- Klebsiella pneumoniae is the more commonly seen in alcoholics.[3]
- Staphylococcus aureus is the most common pathogen responsible for lung abscess in children with cystic fibrosis.[4]
The following table elaborates the most common etiological pathogens responsible for lung abscess [5]
Common Causes
Less Common Causes
Causes by Organ System
| Cardiovascular | Infective endocarditis |
| Chemical/Poisoning | No underlying causes |
| Dental | No underlying causes |
| Dermatologic | No underlying causes |
| Drug Side Effect | Drug injection, porfimer |
| Ear Nose Throat | No underlying causes |
| Endocrine | Diabetes mellitus |
| Environmental | No underlying causes |
| Gastroenterologic | Cystic fibrosis |
| Genetic | Cystic fibrosis |
| Hematologic | No underlying causes |
| Iatrogenic | Hospital-acquired pneumonia |
| Infectious Disease | Actinomyces, actinomycosis, alveolar hydatid disease, amoebiasis, aspergilloma, aspergillus, bacteroides, blastomyces dermatitidis, bronchiectasis, burkholderia pseudomallei, candida, capnocytophaga, coccidioides immitis, community-acquired pneumonia, cryptococcus neoformans, cryptococcus, entamoeba histolytica, escherichia coli, fusobacterium, haemophilus influenzae, histoplasma capsulatum, HIV, hospital-acquired pneumonia, infective endocarditis, klebsiella pneumoniae, klebsiella, legionella, Lemierre’s syndrome, listeriosis, melioidosis, mycobacterium tuberculosis, nocardia, paragonimiasis, paragonimus westermani, paragonimus, peptostreptococcus, pneumonia, prevotella, pseudomonas aeruginosa, rhodococcus equi, staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus milleri, streptococcus pneumoniae, streptococcus pyogenes, streptococcus, yersinia |
| Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic | No underlying causes |
| Neurologic | No underlying causes |
| Nutritional/Metabolic | Cystic fibrosis |
| Obstetric/Gynecologic | No underlying causes |
| Oncologic | Bronchogenic carcinoma |
| Ophthalmologic | No underlying causes |
| Overdose/Toxicity | No underlying causes |
| Psychiatric | No underlying causes |
| Pulmonary | Alveolar hydatid disease, aspiration, bronchiectasis, bronchogenic carcinoma, community-acquired pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, hospital-acquired pneumonia, mycobacterium tuberculosis, pneumonia, Wegener’s granulomatosis |
| Renal/Electrolyte | Wegener’s granulomatosis |
| Rheumatology/Immunology/Allergy | Chronic granulomatous disease, common variable immunodeficiency, Sjogren’s syndrome, vasculitis, Wegener’s granulomatosis |
| Sexual | No underlying causes |
| Trauma | No underlying causes |
| Urologic | No underlying causes |
| Miscellaneous | Foreign body |
Causes in Alphabetical Order
- Actinomyces
- Actinomycosis
- Alveolar hydatid disease
- Amoebiasis
- Aspergilloma
- Aspergillus
- Aspiration
- Bacteroides
- Blastomyces dermatitidis
- Bronchiectasis
- Bronchogenic carcinoma
- Burkholderia pseudomallei
- Candida
- Capnocytophaga
- Chronic granulomatous disease
- Coccidioides immitis
- Common variable immunodeficiency
- Community-acquired pneumonia
- Cryptococcus
- Cryptococcus neoformans
- Cystic fibrosis
- Diabetes mellitus
- Drug injection
- Entamoeba histolytica
- Escherichia coli
- Foreign body
- Fusobacterium
- Haemophilus influenzae
- Histoplasma capsulatum
- HIV
- Hospital-acquired pneumonia
- Infective endocarditis
- Klebsiella
- Klebsiella pneumoniae [6][7]
- Legionella
- Lemierre’s syndrome
- Listeriosis
- Melioidosis
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- Nocardia
- Paragonimiasis
- Paragonimus
- Paragonimus westermani
- Peptostreptococcus
- Pneumonia
- Porfimer
- Prevotella
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa [7]
- Rhodococcus equi
- Sjogren’s syndrome
- Staphylococcus aureus [7]
- Streptococcus
- Streptococcus milleri
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Streptococcus pyogenes
- Vasculitis
- Wegener’s granulomatosis
- Yersinia
Reference
Reference
- ↑ Cesar L, Gonzalez C, Calia FM (1975). “Bacteriologic flora of aspiration-induced pulmonary infections”. Arch. Intern. Med. 135 (5): 711–4. PMID 28705.
- ↑ Bartlett JG (2012). “Anaerobic bacterial infection of the lung”. Anaerobe. 18 (2): 235–9. doi:10.1016/j.anaerobe.2011.12.004. PMID 22209937.
- ↑ Wang JL, Chen KY, Fang CT, Hsueh PR, Yang PC, Chang SC (2005). “Changing bacteriology of adult community-acquired lung abscess in Taiwan: Klebsiella pneumoniae versus anaerobes”. Clin. Infect. Dis. 40 (7): 915–22. doi:10.1086/428574. PMID 15824979.
- ↑ “www.iosrjournals.org” (PDF).
- ↑ Lorber B, Swenson RM (1974). “Bacteriology of aspiration pneumonia. A prospective study of community- and hospital-acquired cases”. Ann. Intern. Med. 81 (3): 329–31. PMID 4850729.
- ↑ Bartlett JG (2005). “The role of anaerobic bacteria in lung abscess”. Clin. Infect. Dis. 40 (7): 923–5. doi:10.1086/428586. PMID 15824980.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Hirshberg B, Sklair-Levi M, Nir-Paz R, Ben-Sira L, Krivoruk V, Kramer MR (1999). “Factors predicting mortality of patients with lung abscess”. Chest. 115 (3): 746–50. PMID 10084487.
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