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.
Most frequently, the lung abscess arises as a complication of aspiration pneumonia caused by mouth anaerobes. The patients who develop lung abscess are predisposed to aspiration and commonly have periodontal disease.
Abdominal abscesses are caused by bacteria that usually enter the abdomen as a result of penetrating trauma, rupture of the bowel, or intra-abdominal surgery. Intra-abdominal abscesses (abscesses within the abdomen) can develop when the abdominal cavity or an organ in the abdomen is compromised in some way and bacteria are able to enter.