Pleural empyema due to Salmonella in a patient with bronchogenic carcinoma: the first case report from a cancer hospital in Egypt

BACKGROUND: Salmonella species are motile, Gram-negative facultative anaerobic bacilli, which belong to the family Enterobacteriaceae . The most common clinical presentations of Salmonella infection are gastroenteritis and enteric fever. Detection of Salmonella organisms in empyema is very rare. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 66-year-old female patient with bronchogenic carcinoma who developed empyema, and Salmonella was identified from the culture of pleural fluid. After antimicrobial therapy and other therapeutic measures, including the insertion of an intercostal tube, oxygen supplementation, frequent suction of respiratory secretions, and chest physiotherapy, the patient's condition improved. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case to be reported in Egypt. CONCLUSIONS: Our case sheds light on the role of Salmonella in immunocompromised patients in general and cancer patients in specific. We recommend further study of this role, since it may lead to a better understanding of the pathogenicity of this organism in these patients.