Description
This is a portion of the lobe of a lung, showing patchy and irregular pleural thickening, and
extensive bronchiectasis. The surrounding lung parenchyma appears collapsed.
History
In September 1979, this child was sent to hospital because he was coughing up yellow
sputum. In 1966, he had been in hospital with a diagnosis of chronic bronchitis and pneumonia,
and in 1972, when admitted for dental extraction, he had a chronic productive cough, suggesting
bronchiectasis. X-rays following admission showed a large pneumothorax on the right side, with a
small amount of fluid at the right base, with two-thirds collapse of the lung, which was almost
uniformly opaque. He had anaemia and a lymphocytosis, and gross hypoalbuminaemia.
Haemophilus influenza was grown in the sputum. An empyema was drained, and he was referred
for surgery. Present specimen consists of the right lower lobe; the removed portions of the right
upper lobe showed bronchiectasis and a broncho-pleural fistula, communicating with an empyema
sac.