We believe that the empyema in these 5 patients was caused by normal commensal Candida species entering the pleural cavity when the fistula between the gastrointestinal tract and pleural cavity was formed. Isolation of Candida species can be an important clue for suspecting gastrointestinal tract perforation as a cause of empyema.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Ishiguro et al. (2010) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: