The authors describe the case of a 49 year-old caucasian male with left pleural effusion. The etiology of the effusion was exsudative with a preponderance of neutrophils. Ten days after admission and on empirical antibiotic therapy, the patient still had fever and the pleural effusion that became purulent. The thoracic echography and computerized tomography showed a subcapsular splenic abcess. The diagnosis was...