Pyopneumothorax: A Complication of Streptococcus pyogenes Pharyngitis

Abstract

A 20-y-old African-American female with Streptococcus pyogenes pharyngitis presented with tension pyopneumothorax. Her illness began with fever and sore throat that persisted for several days. She then developed a left neck swelling, followed by difficult swallowing and cough. Subsequently, she developed shortness of breath that became severe. On physical examination fever (39.2°C), exudative pharyngitis, tenderness and swelling in the left anterior cervical area were noted. Chest X-ray revealed left side pneumothorax, air-fluid level and near-complete collapse of the left lung with displacement of the heart and trachea to the right. Computed tomography scan of the neck revealed swelling and enhancement of the sternocleidomastoid muscle with loculated fluid collection, inflammation in the left anterior medial neck displacing the trachea extending into the mediastinum and the left apex. Thoracentesis revealed purulent fluid; Gram stain showed Gram-positive cocci in chains; culture yielded pure growth of Streptococcus pyogenes. She was treated with high dose penicillin, several chest tubes and intra-pleural injections of streptokinase with gradual resolution. This complication has not been described previously in Streptococcus pyogenes pharyngitis.