The role of thoracic interventional radiologists in the management of chest infections: a pictorial review.

Thoracic infections remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, requiring accurate and timely diagnosis to guide appropriate treatment. This pictorial review illustrates the role of the interventional thoracic radiologist in the management of infectious processes involving the lung, pleura, mediastinum, and chest wall. We describe a range of non-vascular image-guided percutaneous diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. These include targeted sampling for microbiological identification in complicated pneumonias and cavitary lesions, as well as image-guided drainage of pulmonary, pleural, mediastinal, and thoracic wall infectious collections. The advantages of these minimally invasive percutaneous techniques, especially in peripheral/subpleural lung lesions, are highlighted. In addition, we present practical technical considerations and diagnostic "tips and tricks," aimed at improving diagnostic yield. By integrating imaging findings with interventional strategies, this review underscores the growing clinical impact of interventional radiology in thoracic infections.