At an isolated weather station in the central United States, a technician emerges from a small brick shed grasping a balloon. It's not just any birthday party balloon, mind you, but a massive, white sphere more than 5 feet (1.5 meters) in diameter.
Lung abscess can also be caused by the spread of other infections from the liver, abdominal cavity, or open chest wounds. Rarely, AIDS patients can develop lung abscess from Pneumocystis carinii and other organisms that take advantage of a weakened immune system. Lung abscess is usually slow to develop.
One type of bacteria that commonly causes abscesses is Staphylococcus aureus. Examples of abscesses include skin abscess, brain abscess, lung abscess, kidney abscess, bones abscess, abdominal abscess, rectal abscess, breast abscess, liver abscess, spinal cord abscess and tooth abscess.