Introduction:

Empyema of necessity (or empyema necessitatis) is, at present, a rare finding, of which tuberculosis is the most common cause, especially in immunosuppressed patients.

Objective:

To present a case of empyema of necessity as a complication of extrapulmonary tuberculosis.

Clinical case:

47-year-old female patient, without known history of disease, who was admitted due to pneumonia of the right base and, as a complication, an empyema of necessity of a tubercular nature. She was treated medically and surgically, and had a favorable evolution.

Conclusions:

Knowledge of the epidemiology of the area where the patient was diagnosed, together with personalized medical care, contributed to a rapid diagnosis, as well as to the medical and surgical treatment provided according to the protocols established for extrapleural tuberculosis.

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