Invasive Salmonellosis Presenting as a Lung Abscess: a Case Report

Salmonella spp are an uncommon cause of lung abscess. A 59 year old man presented to our hospital with a 1 month history of cough and low grade fever progressing to high grade fever for 1 week. He had a past medical history significant for diabetes mellitus type 2 and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis for which he was receiving prednisolone, initially at 60 mg daily tapering to 20 mg daily. On presentation he was febrile and had decreased breath sounds and dullness to percussion over the right lower lung field. A chest X-ray showed a cavitary lesion with an air-fluid level in the right lung. Computed tomography of the lung revealed 2 cavitary lesions in the right upper and lower lungs. Sputum culture revealed Salmonella spp group B. He was treated successfully with ceftriaxone intravenously for 1 month followed by oral cefdinir. A chest X-ray at 1 month showed significant improvement; he was treated conservatively without surgical drainage. Salmonella can cause lung abscesses, especially in the immune suppressed.