Primary lung abscess in childhood: the long-term outcome of conservative management.

Fourteen cases of primary lung abscess in childhood were treated with antibiotics alone. The only organism discovered was Staphylococcus aureus. All the children recovered. Roentgenographic abnormalities took from six weeks to more than five years to resolve. Recently, follow-up of 11 of the 14 children was performed an average of nine years after treatment of the abscess. In all children, the clinical status, lung volumes, and expiratory flow rates were normal, except in two with asthma. A conservative approach to the management of primary lung abscess in children is recommended.