Bobbio A, Bouam S, Frenkiel J, et al. - By retrospectively studying data from patients aged ≥18 years hospitalised for pleural infection in France between January 2013 and December 2017, researchers assessed the epidemiology of pleural empyema on a nationwide basis in the entire population as well as in three subgroups, namely post-lung resection, associated cancer and those with no surgery and no cancer. A total of 25,512 hospitalisations occurred for pleural empyema. Mortality was estimated to be 17.1%, 29.5%, 17.7%, and 10.7% in the whole population, in the associated cancer group, in the post-lung resection group, and in the no surgery–no cancer group, respectively. In the whole population, the identified independent predictors of mortality were: age, presence of fistula, higher Charlson Comorbidity Index ( > 3), alcohol abuse, arterial hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, atheroma, atrial fibrillation, performance status > 3 and three subgroups of pleural empyema. Findings of this study showed a rising incidence of empyema. Recent lung resection and associated diagnosis of cancer were identified to be related to mortality.