Infection and necrotic tissue are critical to the development of a lung abscess.
The organisms most commonly involved are aerobic and anaerobic streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus and a variety of different gram-negative organisms. Anaerobes normally found in the oral cavity occur exclusively in 60% of cases - including Bacteroides, Fusobacterium, and Peptococcus.
Organisms may be introduced through:
Primary cryptogenic lung abscesses describe those for which no cause can be ascertained.
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