A palpable chest wall mass in a 4-year-old boy

Abstract

Empyema necessitans (EN) is a rare but dangerous complication of a lower respiratory tract infection. The diagnosis can be difficult to make and therefore delayed. We describe a case of a child with an atypical presentation of EN. He was afebrile and without chest pain and presented with a palpable chest wall mass after a history of recent respiratory infection. The threshold of suspicion for EN should be low, and it must be suspected in all children with a chest wall mass and recent history of respiratory infection.