Empyema

Overview :

Empyema may have a number of causes but is most frequently a complication of pneumonia. Its development can be divided into three phases: an acute phase in which the body cavity fills with a thin fluid containing some pus; a second stage in which the fluid thickens and a fibrous, coagulation protein (fibrin) begins to accumulate within the cavity; and a third or chronic stage in which the lung or other organ is encased within a thick covering of fibrous material.