Pneumococcal empyema following endoscopic sclerotherapy in a child with cavernous transformation of the portal vein.

Esophageal sclerotherapy is widely used in the treatment of bleeding esophageal varices. Complications vary from chest pain to esophageal perforation. Our patient, suffering from cavernous transformation of the portal vein, developed massive empyema following sclerotherapy. Although small asymptomatic pleural effusions have been reported, massive empyema requiring surgical drainage, without evidence of esophageal perforation, has, to our knowledge, not been described.