| Thoracic empyema is defined as an infection of the pleural space associated with the formation of thick, purulent, pleural fluid. |
| In this review we discuss the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of pneumothorax, pleural effusion, and empyema. |
| Patients with tuberculosis empyema present with chest pain, breathlessness, cough with expectoration, fever, and toxaemia. |
| Infective emboli are liable to lodge in the lung or pleura, and set up pulmonary abscess, gangrene of the lung, or empyema. |
| In cases of chronic empyema of the maxillary sinus this operation is very successful. |
| In conclusion, it remains beyond doubt that treatment of empyema and complicated parapneumonic effusions is multidisciplinary. |
