Subclinical community‐acquired Acinetobacter pneumonia associated with mature cystic teratoma masquerading as lung abscess

• Main Authors: Sai‐on Ling, Pak‐yuen Anthony Yau, Hoi‐yee Kwan, Chie‐wai Yim, Yik‐ning Poon, Thomas Mok
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2020-01-01
• Series: Respirology Case Reports
• Subjects: Acinetobacter; community‐acquired pneumonia; lung abscess; mature cystic teratoma; subclinical
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1002/rcr2.510
• ISSN: 2051-3380

A 22‐year‐old lady presented with fever and right pleuritic chest pain with chest X‐ray showing a right suprahilar shadow. Her symptoms largely subsided with antibiotic therapy but the shadow remained unresolved. Computerized tomography (CT) scan of thorax showed consolidation over the anterior segment of the right upper lobe with a hypodense area suspicious of a lung abscess. Fine needle aspirates of the lesion grew Acinetobacter baumannii twice but the shadow persisted despite multiple courses of antibiotics targeted at the organism. Right video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery was done and the pathological diagnosis was a mature cystic teratoma with adjacent lung consolidation. Culture of the lung specimen also grew Acinetobacter baumannii. This was the first reported case of subclinical community‐acquired Acinetobacter pneumonia in association with a mature cystic teratoma, which masquerades as a lung abscess.