Tuberculosis may be complicated with empyema and fistula in patients with cellular immune deficiency. The case presented was a 39-year-old male patient with diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis developed hydropneumothorax while taking steroid and immunosuppressive treatment and examination of pleural fluid revealed acid-fast bacilli. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit due to respiratory failure and underwent bronchoscopic examination due to air leakage. The right middle lobe was obliterated by using an endobronchial Watanabe Spigot (EWS), and the amount of leakage decreased considerably after the procedure. On day 7, chest tube drainage was removed, and empyema was drained with a Pezzer drain. On day 50, upon the cessation of empyema drainage, spigots were removed with rigid and flexible bronchoscope. In conclusion, EWS use in the treatment of bronchopleural fistula is an effective, safe and a reversible procedure.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.