Necrotizing pneumonia in infants

Community-acquired bacterial pneumonias generally have a good prognosis, given a good response to the antibiotic treatment applied, and complications such as pleural effusion, empyema, abscess and necrotizing pneumonia with pneumatocele formation (cavitary necrosis) are rare. Although cavitary necrosis is manifested as a severe disease, most children show complete recovery even without surgical treatment and have normal chest radiographs at long term. A case is presented of an immunocompetent infant that developed necrotizing pneumonia with pneumatocele formation during treatment of bacterial pneumonia. Conservative treatment led to complete regression of necrotic cavities and resulted in normal chest radiography finding 2.5 months of the occurrence of pneumatoceles.