Large Abscess Research Articles

Neonatal brain abscess development following fetal scalp electrode placement: a rare complication

A fetal scalp electrode (FSE) is a frequently used investigation during labor. However, it is an invasive procedure which can lead to complications. Our patient developed a very large brain abscess after initial superficial infection of the skin site due to an FSE. The patient was admitted to the hospital after an asymmetric growth of the skull was noticed with no further signs of clinical illness. MRI showed a very large brain abscess which was aspirated and treated with antibiotics for 10 weeks. A 2-year follow-up showed only a slight developmental delay in gross motor skills. Only once before a similar case has been described at which the patient developed a brain abscess after superficial infection of the scalp following an FSE. In both cases, the brain abscess was noticed due to an asymmetric growth of the skull without any further signs of clinical illness. A brain abscess has a high mortality and morbidity rate, and early diagnosis is vital for the optimal outcome. We therefore recommend to organize an out-patient clinical follow-up for every infant with a superficial infection of the skin site after placement of an FSE.

Surgical multidisciplinary approach of orbital complications of sinonasal inflammatory disorders.

SUMMARYOrbital infection complicating sinonasal inflammatory disorders may lead to serious sequelae, including blindness and death, if untreated. Communication between the otorhinolaryngologist, neuroradiologist, ophtalmologist, neurosurgeon and maxillo-facial surgeon is critical and time-sensitive for a successful treatment. The large majority of pre-septal cellulitis cases resolves after broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy. Also orbital cellulitis has been found responsive to pharmacological approach in most cases. The management of the subperiosteal abscess (SPA) is more controversial. An aggressive surgical approach is always recommended also in case of cavernous sinus thrombosis. In cases of surgical indication, debate is still open on the timing and the approach (endoscopic or external). The surgeon should be prepared to convert an endoscopic approach to an external one if needed and this should be included in the informed consent. Decompression of one or more orbital walls may be necessary if orbital pressure remains elevated. Immediate surgery is indicated in children with large SPA or orbital abscesses (OA), or in immune-compromised patients. Moreover, any worsening in the ophthalmological function must be carefully considered as a landmark in candidacy to surgery.

Anterior Abdominal Wall Abscess

Surgeons often encounter patients with advanced carcinoma of the stomach that necessitate urgent operative interventions. The presentations include perforation-peritonitis, bleeding, and gastric outlet obstruction. Carcinoma of the stomach is known to invade surrounding organs such as the transverse colon, pancreas, spleen, liver, and rarely, the anterior abdominal wall. In this case report, we describe an elderly diabetic male patient who presented with a large anterior abdominal wall abscess. The contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of the abdomen showed a communication from the pylorus of the stomach to the abscess cavity. He underwent drainage of the abscess, and the wound was transiently managed with a vacuum-assisted closure. On gastroscopy, a fistulous opening was noted in the pylorus with surrounding erythema. The biopsy from the lesion was reported as a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with signet-ring cells. Anterior abdominal wall abscess is a rare presentation of carcinoma stomach and when identified, the primary aim of the treatment should be the sepsis control and wound healing followed by definitive management.

Pediatric subperiosteal orbital abscess characterization and prediction of size, location, and management

IntroductionSubperiosteal orbital abscess (SPOA) is a serious suppurative complication of pediatric sinusitis. The objective of this study is to stratify patient selection into those best treated medically versus surgically based on clinical outcomes. MethodsThis is a retrospective review of patients diagnosed with SPOA complicating sinusitis treated at a tertiary care pediatric hospital from 2002 through 2016. SPOA was diagnosed by CT scan. Characteristics evaluated include demographics, abscess size, location, and measurements, length of hospital stay, medical and surgical interventions, presenting symptoms, and complications. ResultsA total of 108 total SPOA secondary to sinusitis patients were included. A majority, 72.2%, were male with an average age at presentation of 6.8 years. The mean ± standard deviation abscess cubic volume was 0.98 ± 1.27 cm3 (median(range) = 0.44(0.01–7.34 cmcm3)). With an abscess volume of 0.510 cm3, there was a sensitivity of 71.2% and a specificity of 84.4% for needing surgical drainage. Those with large abscesses at our volume threshold were 13 times more likely to require surgery than those with small abscesses, OR: 13.41, 95%CI: 5.02–35.86, p < .001. Patients that required surgery had an abscess closer to the orbital apex with the majority, 25 (61.0%), being the most proximal to the apex, p = .004. The likelihood of surgery decreased with increased distance from the orbital apex in medial abscesses (OR:.92, 95%CI: 0.86-0.98, p = .009). ConclusionIn the pediatric population, SPOA is a serious consequence of sinusitis. This study provides evidence supporting that larger abscess size is a significant risk factor for requiring surgery. The appeal of our study is that it provides evidence and support that employ clinical parameters already assessed as standard practice in evaluating these patients. In summarizing the clinical translational relevance of our study, when determining whether to treat a patient with surgery and antimicrobial/medical therapy vs. non-surgical medical therapy alone, the clinician should focus on size of 0.510 cm3 or larger for abscesses in any location as a relative indication for surgery.

Gram-negative meningitis and the significance of SPICE organisms.

A 6-week-old term female infant born via emergency Caesarean section for fetal bradycardia was admitted to exclude meningitis. She was febrile, anorexic, and irritable with a bulging anterior fontanelle. Empiric treatment with vancomycin and cefotaxime was started. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures showed no growth. MRI head confirmed the presence of a large abscess. The abscess was drained and cultures grew Citrobacter sp. Antibiotics were changed to meropenem and later ceftriaxone once the bacteria was further identified as Citrobacter koseri. Serial MRI monitoring directed two further abscess aspirations. The course was complicated by increasing hydrocephalus, requiring placement of an external ventricular drain, and as well by focal tonic clonic seizures. The latter were treated with phenobarbital followed by levetiracetam. After over 2 weeks, she was discharged home to complete parenteral therapy as an outpatient. At 12 weeks, MRI showed improvement but there was new and progressing high T2 signal in the left temporal white matter. She was developing neutropenia (absolute neutrophils 0.4) from prolonged ceftriaxone use. Outpatient antibiotics were changed to ceftazidime. Antibiotics were discontinued after a follow-up MRI showed improvement in the abscess compared to initial imaging.

Perforated sigmoid diverticulitis masquerading as multiple intra and extra abdominal disseminated abscesses

Abscess formation in perforated diverticulitis is most commonly confined to the pelvis, with other intraperitoneal and extraperitoneal locations rarer in the literature. Presented here is the case of a 63-year-old male who was diagnosed with perforated diverticulitis which manifested in multiple intra- and extra-abdominal abscesses. These were identified on abdominopelvic computed tomography to include a presacral abscess, bilateral psoas abscesses, a large left flank abscess located between the internal and external oblique muscles, as well as osteomyelitis of the S1 vertebra. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first reported case in the literature with this disseminated constellation of abscesses secondary to acute perforated diverticulitis.

Endocarditis at a large community hospital with on-site cardiac surgery.

ObjectiveInfective endocarditis (IE) is still a serious disease. The currently published EURO-ENDO registry showed a rate of surgery of 51.2% and a lower mortality in operated IE patients. We hypothesized differences between our data and the registry.MethodsRetrospective single centre registry on the hospital course of patients with IE.ResultsIn four years, 171 IE patients were treated at our hospital. Mean age of patients was 66.5 ± 13.8 years and 62.6% of patients were transferred from other hospitals. There were 85 (49.7%) patients with native valve IE (NVE), 53 (31%) with prosthetic valve IE (PVE) and 33 (19.3%) with either intra-cardiac device related IE (n = 29) or IE associated with central access lines (n = 4) (DRE). A total of 81.3% (n = 139) of patients were sent to cardiac surgery. Using a logistic regression model to analyse predictors of conservative instead of surgical therapy the only independent variables were: presence of large vegetation or abscesses (OR: 0.36, 95%CI 0.15–0.83; p = 0.016) and age (for each ten years) (OR: 1.61, 95%CI 1.11–2.32, p = 0.01). Hospital mortality was 21.6% (n = 37/171), with no difference (p = 0.97) between those who were operated (21.6%, n = 30/139) and those treated conservatively (21.9%, n = 7/32). Comparing those treated conservatively without an indication for surgery with those with an indication, mortality was 9.5% versus 45.5%, p = 0.02.ConclusionsIn this registry from a hospital with on-site cardiac surgery more than half of patients were referred. The rate of patients treated surgically was 81.3%. Hospital mortality was 21.6%, with no difference between operated and conservatively treated patients.

Leukotoxin production by Fusobacterium necrophorum strains in relation to severity of liver abscesses in cattle

Fusobacterium necrophorum, a Gram-negative anaerobe, is the primary etiologic agent of liver abscesses of beef cattle. The bacterium, a member of the microbial community of the rumen, travels to the liver via portal circulation to cause abscesses. The severity of liver abscesses vary from mild with one or two small abscesses to severe with medium to large multiple abscesses. Leukotoxin, a secreted protein, is the critical virulence factor involved in the infection. Our objective was to compare leukotoxin production between strains of F. necrophorum isolated from mild and severe liver abscesses collected from slaughtered cattle. The quantification of leukotoxin was based on assays to measure cytotoxicity and protein antigen concentration. One-hundred strains, 50 from mild and 50 from severe abscesses, were utilized in the study. Cell-free supernatants were prepared from cultures grown in anaerobic broth at 9 and 24 h incubations. The leukotoxic activity was quantified by measuring cytotoxicity based on the release of lactic dehydrogenase from bovine lymphocyte cells, BL3, treated with the culture supernatant. Leukotoxin protein concentration was quantified by a sandwich ELISA assay with a leukotoxin-specific monoclonal antibody as the capture antibody. The leukotoxin activity and concentration were highly variable among the strains within each severity of liver abscesses. Although the leukotoxic activity was unaffected by incubation time, leukotoxin protein concentration was consistently higher at 24 h compared to 9 h incubation. Strains from severe liver abscesses had significantly higher leukotoxic activity and higher protein concentration compared to strains from mild liver abscesses (P < 0.0001) at both 9 and 24 h culture supernatants. Across all strains, the correlation coefficients between leukotoxic activity and leukotoxin concentration at 9 and 24 h were 0.14 (P = 0.17) and 0.47 (P < 0.0001), respectively. In conclusion, strains isolated from severe liver abscesses had significantly higher leukotoxic activities and leukotoxin protein concentrations compared to strains isolated from mild liver abscesses.

Maximal diameter of liver abscess independently predicts prolonged hospitalization and poor prognosis in patients with pyogenic liver abscess

Background/aimsThis study aimed to investigate the factors associated with prolonged hospital stay and in-hospital mortality in patients with pyogenic liver abscess.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed data from patients with pyogenic liver abscess who were admitted between 2005 and 2018 at three tertiary hospitals in Jeonbuk province, South Korea. Prolonged hospital stay was defined as a duration of hospital admission of more than 21 days.ResultsA total of 648 patients (406 men and 242 women) diagnosed with pyogenic liver abscess were enrolled in the study. The mean maximal diameter of the liver abscess was 5.4 ± 2.6 cm, and 74.9% of the lesions were single. The three groups were divided according to the maximal diameter of the abscess. Laboratory parameters indicated a more severe inflammatory state and higher incidence of complications and extrahepatic manifestations with increasing abscess size. Rates of percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) insertion, multiple PCD drainage, and salvage procedures as well as duration of drainage were also higher in the large liver abscess group. Of note, the duration of hospitalization and in-hospital mortality were significantly higher in the large hepatic abscess group. A multivariate analysis revealed that underlying diabetes mellitus, hypoalbuminemia, high baseline high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and procalcitonin levels, and large maximal abscess diameter were independent factors associated with prolonged hospital stay. Regarding in-hospital mortality, acute kidney injury at admission and maximal diameter of the abscess were independent factors associated with in-hospital mortality.ConclusionsA large maximal diameter of the liver abscess at admission indicated prolonged hospitalization and poor prognosis. More aggressive treatment strategies with careful monitoring are warranted in patients with large liver abscesses.

Empiric treatment for peritonsillar abscess: A single-center experience with medical therapy alone

PurposeCompare the use of medical therapy alone (MTA) with surgical therapy (ST) for the empiric treatment of peritonsillar abscess (PTA). Materials and methodsA consecutive cohort of patients treated for PTA at our institution from May 2013 to February 2019 was analyzed. Demographics, disease characteristics, management strategies, and treatment outcomes were compared between treatment groups. Primary outcomes included treatment failure, defined as the need for follow-up surgical intervention, and complications within 2-weeks of empiric treatment. Results306 patients (72.7%) received MTA while 115 (27.3%) underwent ST. There was no significant difference in the rate of treatment failure between the MTA (7.2%) and ST (6.1%) groups (p = 0.879). Complications were rare in both groups (1.6% with MTA versus 0.9% with ST; p = 0.898). Dysphagia (p = 0.011), trismus (p = 0.045), larger abscesses (p < 0.001), and hospital admission (p < 0.001) were more common in the ST group. Corticosteroid prescriptions were a common component of MTA (53.3%) and less often used with ST (33.9%; p = 0.001). After adjusting for abscess size, there remained no significant difference in the rate of treatment failure between groups. Univariate analyses demonstrated no significant independent predictors of treatment failure including age, sex, race, tonsillitis history, smoking history, presenting signs and symptoms, abscess size, hospital admission, and corticosteroid prescriptions. ConclusionsMTA may be a safe and effective alternative to surgical drainage for the empiric treatment of PTA, warranting larger-scale prospective analyses. Abscess size did not appear to influence treatment failure; however, careful patient selection is likely to optimize treatment outcomes.

Laparoscopic management of liver abscess: a viable alternative in USG guided percutaneous drainage failure cases

Background: Liver abscesses are conventionally treated by ultrasonography (USG) guided percutaneous aspiration or drainage under antibiotic cover. We performed laparoscopic liver abscess drainage successfully in patients where medical management and percutaneous drainage had proven inadequate.Methods: Cases were received either from outpatient department (OPD) or were transferred from medical wards. Patients were first treated conservatively and percutaneous aspiration was attempted. Patients not responding to these treatment modalities were considered for diagnostic laparoscopy with drainage of abscess cavity and placement of 28 Fr drain under vision.Results: 20 patients with large liver abscess were treated successfully by laparoscopic drainage. Mean age in the study was 47 years (range 19-70 years) and average hospital stay was 5 days (range 4-12 days). Major postoperative morbidity or deaths were not registered. Patients with ruptured liver abscess, deep seated abscess cavity and medically unfit patients were excluded from the study.Conclusions: Laparoscopic drainage of liver abscesses, in combination with systemic antibiotics is a safe and viable alternative in all patients who require surgical drainage. It helps in the early return of gastrointestinal function and resumption of normal activities also potentially achieving better abscess drainage.

Study on presentation and predisposing factors for pediatric deep neck space infection

&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background:&lt;/strong&gt; Aim were to study the clinical presentation and predisposing factors in children with deep neck space infections and to study the effective mode of management of pediatric deep neck space infections and its complications. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods:&lt;/strong&gt; This prospective study was done in a tertiary care hospital on 163 pediatric patients with deep neck space infections who were thoroughly examined to know the source of the infection. Ultrasonography of neck and Radiological investigations were done to determine the location and extent of the abscesses. All patients were started on empirical antibiotic therapy of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid and metronidazole. Patients with small abscess were blindly aspirated with wide bore needle, while incision and drainage were done for large abscess. The pus samples from both were sent for culture and sensitivity. Patients presenting with complications, underwent incision and drainage. Patients, who failed empirical antibiotic therapy and needle aspiration, then underwent incision and drainage. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results:&lt;/strong&gt; The most common symptom and sign was neck swelling (85%). The next most common symptom was neck pain (70%). Most of the patients had unknown source of infection and others had history of recurrent sore throat, dental infections, acute cervical lymphadenopathy, parotitis and furuncle over neck. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/strong&gt; Deep neck space infections (DNI’s) in pediatric population constitutes of medical emergency as it could lead to life threatening complications in a short time. Though with changing times of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools have drastically reduced the incidence of complications.&lt;/p&gt;

Can antibiotic treatment failure in tubo-ovarian abscess be predictable?

IntroductionWe aimed to identify factors that would predict the success of antibiotic treatment and the need for surgical treatment in tubo-ovarian abscess (TOA) patients. Materials and methodsThe data of 146 patients with a diagnosis of TOA were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were separated into two groups; successfully treated with antibiotics and going under surgery after antibiotic treatment failure. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data of patients were examined between both groups that could determine the success of treatment. ResultsIn the surgical treatment group, age, body mass index (BMI), and C-reactive protein (CRP) values ​​were higher than the antibiotic treatment group (p = 0.017, p = 0.026, and p < 0.001 respectively). Patients who underwent surgery had a significantly larger abscess than those who received antibiotic therapy (79.4 ± 21.1 mm vs. 50.9 ± 13.2 mm, p < 0.001). Cut-off values of the findings, which were identified as risk factors in predicting the failure of antibiotic treatment, were found with ROC analyses. This cut-off was 41.5 years for age (sensitivity 71.3 %, specificity 60 %), 26.72 kg/m2 for BMI (sensitivity 51.5 %, specificity 71.1 %), and 143.5 mg/L for CRP value on admission (sensitivity 68.3 %, specificity 71.1 %). The cut-off for abscess diameter was 62.5 mm (sensitivity 88.1 %, specificity 82.2 %). ConclusionEspecially in large tubo-ovarian abscesses, early surgical intervention should be preferred considering the age, BMI, and CRP values.

Factors Associated with High Rates of Recurrence of Amebic Liver Abscess (ALA) in North India.

Recurrence of amebic liver abscess (ALA), once considered unusual, is increasingly being reported, despite proper management. Realizing the endemicity of ALA in the study setup, this 2-year follow-up study was conducted to investigate the recurrent cases and study the associated factors. A total of 101 confirmed cases of ALA were followed up for a period of 2 years. Recurrent cases were studied for associated bacterial flora, presence of resistance genes (nim), level of matrix metalloproteinase 3 and MMP-9, and genotypes of Entamoeba histolytica and statistically compared with the nonrecurrent cases as controls. Recurrence rates of 8.9% (nine patients) were detected. The presence of Prevotella along with an increased level of MMP-9 in abscess fluid and large size of abscesses (11 × 10.8 cm) was found to be significantly associated with recurrence in ALA. Among the nine cases, the presence of nimE gene was detected in two (22.2%) patients. The genotyping of E. histolytica strains showed that in seven (77.7%) cases, the genotype of E. histolytica was the same in the primary and recurrent samples. This study reports a high rate of recurrence in the cases of ALA, hinting toward the gradual development of clinical resistance toward the commonly used drug. The presence of nim gene and Prevotella in abscess fluid along with increased MMP-9 levels and large abscess size could be important predictors of recurrent ALA.

Subcutaneous abscess caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 28F in an infant: a case report

BackgroundInvasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is defined by the detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae on culture from samples obtained from a normally sterile site. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) have been developed for the prevention of IPD that is caused by highly virulent serotypes. Despite the effective reduction of IPD caused by vaccine serotypes after the introduction of PCV, there has been a rapid increase in the incidence of IPD caused by non-vaccine serotypes, and serotype replacement has become a global issue.Case presentationWe report a previously healthy 4-month-old girl presenting with a large subcutaneous abscess caused by S. pneumoniae, identified as non-vaccine serotype 28F. The patient had received routine vaccination, including PCV vaccination. After the incision and drainage of the subcutaneous abscess, the patient was treated with antibiotics. She was discharged on Day 7 of hospitalization without any residual sequelae.ConclusionsSubcutaneous abscess is a common pediatric skin and soft tissue infection, whereas pneumococcal subcutaneous abscesses are quite rare. As the pneumococcal serotype 28F caused a subcutaneous abscess, this serotype possibly has a high virulence. The incidence of IPD caused by non-vaccine serotypes, such as 28F, is expected to increase in the future. The consolidation of international data on pneumococcal serotypes is important for the development of novel PCV.

An unusual case of abdominal pain and splenomegaly in a paediatric patient

Fusobacterium species are members of the oral microbiota and have been found to cause a wide spectrum of opportunistic infections. We describe the case of a previously healthy teenager with a large splenic abscess secondary to Fusobacterium nucleatum, successfully managed with percutaneous drainage and intravenous antibiotics. Identification of the organism was achieved using anaerobic culture of the aspirated fluid and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight, later confirmed by 16S ribosomal RNA metagenomic sequencing of the fluid. Fusobacteria are typically associated with oropharyngeal infections but are very rarely implicated in splenic abscesses. Aerobic and anaerobic blood cultures should be drawn when an intra-abdominal infection is suspected in a paediatric patient, and empiric antimicrobial therapy should be administered with coverage for gram-positive, gram-negative, and anaerobic bacteria.

Spondylodiscitis with a psoas abscess - not a case of tuberculosis

Background: Brucellosis is a zoonotic infection, commonly presenting with osteoarticular involvement. Spinal brucellosis occurs in up to 65% of affected cases, but the occurrence of a psoas abscess is rare, and may mislead the clinician to an alternative diagnosis such as tuberculosis (TB). Case Presentation: Our patient presented with history of fever and lower backache. On evaluation, he was found to have L1-L2 spondylodiscitis with an associated large left psoas abscess. Given the endemicity of TB in India, it was the first considered differential diagnosis. The abscess fluid culture, however, grew Brucella melitensis. On carefully reviewing his history, it was found that the patient had contact with goats as a part of his occupation, explaining the source of the Brucella infection. Conclusion: Brucellosis must be kept in mind as a differential diagnosis for spondylodiscitis even in the occurrence of psoas abscess, a rarity, as seen in this case - in the background of relevant contact history and endemicity.

An update on joint ill in sheep.

This focus article has been prepared by Vanessa Swinson of the APHA Small Ruminant Expert Group.

Total Prostatectomy for Treating a Large Prostatic Abscess in a Dog

Total Prostatectomy for Treating a Large Prostatic Abscess in a Dog

Video Assisted Anal Fistula Treatment (VAAFT) for Treating a Complex Posttraumatic Anal Fistula: Case Report

Introduction: Anal fistula is an abnormal pathway that connects the anorectal tract to the perianal skin. The Park’s classification describes four different types of anal fistulas depending on their links with the sphincter apparatus. In this paper, we report an interesting case of post-traumatic complex trans-sphincteric fistula treated with VAAFT procedure. Case Presentation: A 60-year-old-male patient, from an accidental fall, developed a gluteal abscess with a high trans-sphincteric anal fistula and a secondary tract leading to a large second abscess located in the right ischiorectal fossa. An abscess incision was done, and a draining seton was placed in another Institution. The patient came to our Hospital and underwent surgery using Video Assisted Anal Fistula Treatment (VAAFT) procedure. Conclusions: VAAFT is an effective and safe procedure for complex anal fistula, even when they have a post-traumatic origin.