Anti-infective treatment for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma combined with pulmonary abscess: a case report and literature review

Abstract

Abstract Background We first report the case of a 58-year-old man who developed a primary lung abscess after chemotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Granulocytosis after chemotherapy is a major factor in the development of various infectious diseases. Case presentation: In September 2022, a 58-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital for 20 days due to left eyelid ptosis with diplopia. He was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer and underwent surgery four days later. The patient started the first cycle of chemotherapy on October 1. After the first cycle of chemotherapy, she developed dizziness without obvious reason and was accompanied by instability on the second day of discharge. Chest CT showed chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The doctor suspected that the patient had an infectious lung disease and gave him an empirical antibacterial treatment. However, the symptoms did not resolve, and later, Mycobacterium abscess was found by NGS. After taking cefoxitin and moxifloxacin. The patient's symptoms were significantly reduced and the lesions were absorbed. Conclusion These patients are immunosuppressed after chemotherapy, and are prone to the formation of primary lung abscess under high-risk inhalation environment. The successful treatment of bacterial pneumonia combined with NTM lung disease provides treatment ideas for patients with tumor combined with infection.