[Squamous cell carcinoma of the chest wall in a patient with chronic empyema].

We report a rare case of squamous cell carcinoma of the chest wall in a patient with chronic empyema. The patient was a 74-year-old male who had been treated by closed chest drainage for empyema for 20 years until the development of carcinoma. He received chest wall resection followed by radiation therapy because of disseminated lesions comfirmed at surgery. However, his condition worsened gradually, and he died 2 months postoperatively. In the treatment of chronic empyema, we must pay attention to the possible association of malignant tumor for treating as early as possible, because the associated malignant tumor usually has a poor prognosis.