Severe pneumonia with empyema caused by and co-infection: a case report

Empyema is a common complication of pneumonia, caused by the accumulation of purulent exudate due to pathogenic bacteria invading the pleural cavity. Parvimonas micra and Streptococcus constellatus are pathogens that rarely cause pneumonia with empyema. Herein, a case of severe empyema caused by these two pathogens, confirmed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of pleural effusion cultures, is reported. A male Chinese patient in his late sixties presented with wheezing, cough, sputum expectoration, and fever. Blood and sputum cultures were negative for pathogens, but the pleural effusion culture was positive for S. constellatus , and was also found to contain P. micra , confirmed by mNGS. The patient’s symptoms improved after treatment with cefoperazone/sulbactam and moxifloxacin. Pneumonia caused by P. micra and S. constellatus is rare; however, coinfection with these pathogens may cause severe pneumonia, with or without empyema.