Gangrenous Pneumonia

Gangrenous pneumonia (Image sourced from Bristol Biomed Image Archive with permission)

• Can occur following severe infections in which tissue becomes necrotic and is then invaded by putrefactive saprophytes, however this is rare.
• The usual cause is administration of medicines (intended for the oesophagus!) or as a sequel to aspiration pneumonia
• The dead tissue undergoes liquefactive necrosis forming a cavity which is surrounded by intense hyperaemia and inflammation