Despite the rapid advancement in both the medical and surgical treatment of lung abscess, the continued mortality and prolonged disability still make this form of pulmonary suppuration a serious disease. This study of 41 patients admitted to The Ohio State University Hospital over a five-year period was undertaken to determine what aspects of diagnosis and therapy are of special importance and what effect associated diseases, both systemic and pulmonary, have on ultimate results. A lung abscess is an area of localized suppuration and cavity formation within the parenchyma of the lung. The term, lung abscess, is often used loosely to