Primary psoas abscess. A review of 16 cases

OBJECTIVE: Most psoas abscesses are secondary. The objective of this study was to report on the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of primary psoas abscess. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 16 cases seen over a ten-year period (1987-1997) and compared our findings to published data. RESULTS: There were 14 men and two women, with a mean age of 6 years (range, 17-57 years). The right side was affected in nine cases, the left side in six, and both sides in one. Fever, pain and psoas spasm were the presenting symptoms. Laboratory tests for inflammation were positive; four patients had a high neutrophil count. Ultrasonography demonstrated a fluid collection in the psoas in 13 patients. A computed tomography scan was done in 14 patients and showed either a fluid collection (n = 11) or a presuppurative abscess (n = 3). Magnetic resonance imaging was not used. The organism was recovered in nine patients and was a Staphylococcus aureus in seven, an Escherichia coli in one and a Pseudomonas aeruginosa in one. The Brucella agglutination test was strongly positive in two patients. Findings were negative from investigations done to look for a cause (discitis, urinary tract infection, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, malignancy or infection in the vicinity of the psoas muscle). All patients received antimicrobial therapy. Drainage was percutaneous in six patients and surgical in ten. The outcome was favorable in every case.     

Clinical observation on 206 cases with lower limb deep venous thrombosis treated by integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine]

Primary psoas abscess is an uncommon disease. In children, clinical manifestations is often inspecific leading to diagnostic delay. The authors relate a primary pyogenic abscess of the psoas muscle in a 7-year-old girl with secondary septic arthritis of the hip. Confirmation of diagnosis was established by computerized tomography (CT) of the abdominal and pelvic areas. A review of the literature is presented about clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, differential diagnosis, etiology, diagnostic and therapeutic management of this infrequent entity.     

Pain in the hip area accompanied by a fever]

In 3 patients, 2 women aged 16 and 64 years and 1 man aged 64 years, with pain in the left hip region and fever, the diagnosis psoas abscess was made. After antibiotic treatment and drainage they recovered well. The primary from of psoas abscess is presumably caused by haematogenous spread of bacteria, mostly Staphylococcus aureus. The secondary form is caused by spread of infection from surrounding tissue, mostly gastrointestinal micro-organisms with Crohn's disease and diverticulitis. Painful passive extension and endorotation as well as a painful flexion stress-test of the hip joint can indicate a psoas abscess. Echography and blood cultures should be performed if a psoas abscess is suspected. If echography is inconclusive, CT-scan can establish the diagnosis. The psoas abscess should be treated by percutaneous or surgical drainage combined with antibiotic therapy. The underlying cause of a secondary psoas abscess should be treated separately.     

An improved method to obtain highly differentiated monolayers of human bronchial epithelial cells

BACKGROUND: Image-guided percutaneous drainage has been shown to be a safe and effective alternative to surgery in the management of psoas abscess in adults and adolescents. There is little information on its use in children. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of US-guided percutaneous needle aspiration and catheter drainage of ilio-psoas abscesses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of 14 children with 16 ilio-psoas abscesses (10 pyogenic and 4 tuberculous) who were treated by US-guided percutaneous needle aspiration (n = 5) or catheter drainage (n = 9) along with appropriate antimicrobial therapy. RESULTS: Percutaneous treatment was successful in 10 of the 14 patients; all showed clinical improvement within 24-48 h of drainage and subsequent imaging demonstrated resolution of the abscess cavities. Surgery was avoided in all of these ten patients except one, who underwent open surgical drainage of ipsilateral hip joint pus. Of the other four patients, two had to undergo surgical drainage of the ilio-psoas abscesses after failure of percutaneous treatment, one improved with antibiotics after needle aspiration failed to yield any pus, and one died of continuing staphylococcal septicaemia within 24 h of the procedure. There were no procedural complications. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous drainage represents an effective alternative to surgical drainage as a supplement to medical therapy in the management of children with ilio-psoas abscesses.     

Ilio-psoas abscesses: percutaneous drainage under image guidance

Over a 5-year period, 56 psoas abscesses occurring in 51 patients were managed by image-guided percutaneous drainage, either by needle aspiration (n = 10) or by catheter drainage (n = 46) in conjunction with medical therapy. Twenty-seven patients had tuberculous abscesses (bilateral in five) while 24 patients had pyogenic abscesses. Percutaneous treatment was successful in 16 of the 24 patients (66.7%) with pyogenic abscesses. The reasons for failure were co-existent bowel lesions, phlegmonous involvement of muscle without liquefaction, multiloculated abscess cavity and thick tenacious pus not amenable to percutaneous drainage. Surgery was required in seven patients, either for failed percutaneous drainage or for the management of co-existent disease. Percutaneous drainage was initially successful in all 27 patients of tuberculous psoas abscesses. However, eight patients presented with recurrence requiring repeat intervention. The average duration of catheter drainage was longer in patients with tuberculous abscess (11 days) than in patients with pyogenic abscess (6 days). Percutaneous drainage under image guidance provides an effective and safe alternative to more invasive surgical drainage in most patients with psoas abscesses.     

Septic arthritis of lumbar facet joints. A review of six cases

Hematogenous infection of the facet joints by pyogenic organisms is exceedingly rare. We report six cases of lumbar facet joint septic arthritis due to hematogenous spread of a pyogenic organism. A review of the literature identified ten anecdotal reports of similar cases. An analysis of these 16 cases showed that the diagnosis was based mainly on imaging study findings and that clinical data failed to discriminate between facet joint septic arthritis and infectious discitis. Increased uptake on the radionuclide bone scan was an early finding and the pattern of uptake was different from that seen in discitis. Computed tomography was the investigation that best delineated the facet joint lesions. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine was superior over computed tomography in demonstrating spread of the infection to the epidural space and/or soft tissues and in some instances demonstrated enhancement of the infected facet joint on T1 images after gadolinium injection. Aspiration of the facet joint under fluoroscopic guidance was required only when blood cultures were negative or when the diagnosis of the septic nature of the arthritis was in doubt. Blood cultures yielded a Staphylococcus aureus in the six cases in our series. Appropriate antimicrobial therapy was successful in most cases. In our series, four of the six patients had posterior epiduritis, pyomyositis, or an abscess in the paraspinal muscles or psoas muscle, suggesting that some epidural infections or psoas muscle abscesses believed heretofore to be primary may in fact be complications of facet joint septic arthritis. Facet joint septic arthritis is a new aspect of pyogenic spinal infections that deserves to be considered in patients with febrile spinal syndromes not explained by discitis.     

Dedicated defense team strengthens liability protection

Primary psoas abscess is a relatively rare disease with highest incidence in children and adolescents. It usually presents with fever, abdominal pain and limp. Limping tends to incriminate musculoskeletal problems below the pelvis, but movement of the hip involves the psoas muscle which is mostly retroperitoneal and intimately related to pelvic and intraperitoneal organs. Although the current tendency is to use abdominal sonography, rectal examination is still a valuable step in clinical examination, and may help to assess a pelvic mass or abscess. The following case report describes the elusive nature of psoas abscess and a rare occurrence of abscess rupture and peritonitis, immediately after rectal examination.     

Renal and perirenal abscesses

Our knowledge of the spectrum of renal abscesses has evolved as a result of more sensitive radiologic techniques. The classification of intrarenal abscesses currently includes acute focal bacterial nephritis, acute multifocal bacterial nephritis, renal cortical abscess, renal corticomedullary abscess, and xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis. The clinical presentation of these entities does not differentiate them, however, and various radiographic studies are helpful in making the diagnosis. The intrarenal abscess is usually treated successfully with antibiotic therapy alone. Antistaphylococcal therapy is indicated for the renal cortical abscess, whereas therapy directed against the common gram-negative uropathogens is indicated for most of the other entities. The perinephric abscess is often an elusive diagnosis, has a more serious prognosis, and is more difficult to treat. Drainage of the abscess and sometimes partial or complete nephrectomy, in addition to antibiotic therapy, are required for resolution.     

Brain abscess. A difficult diagnosis?

It is vital to diagnose brain abscess early, but this can be intricate. Four cases of brain abscess are described, illustrating the diagnostic difficulties. One of the patients had multiple brain abscesses. Important aspects of brain abscess are discussed. Brain abscess should be suspected in cases of increasing intracranial pressure combined with focal neurological signs or epileptic seizures, even with no apparent signs of infection. The characteristic contrast-enhancing ring lesion and surrounding oedema may be sufficient for diagnosis, but biopsy and bacteriological culture are often necessary. Epileptic seizures and various neurological sequelae are common, even if the abscess is treated immediately. Delay in diagnosis may lead to fatal outcome.     

Cold abscess of the chest wall: a surgical entity?

BACKGROUND: Cold abscesses of the chest wall are rare tuberculous locations. Because of the resurgence of tuberculosis, this diagnosis must be considered more frequently. METHODS: During a 15-year period (1980 to 1995), 18 patients with one or more cold abscesses of the chest wall were managed in our department. Epidemiologic characteristics, indications, methods and results of operation, and pathogenesis of the abscesses were considered in this retrospective study. RESULTS: Most of the patients were immigrant men. A previous history of tuberculosis was noted in 15 cases (83%). Six patients had concomitant active pulmonary tuberculosis. There was mostly a solitary lesion in the chest wall, the most frequent location being the rib shaft (60%). Before operation the diagnosis was confirmed only in 4 patients (by needle aspiration of the abscess) and presumed in 4 others: an antituberculous chemotherapy was therefore given preoperatively to 8 patients. One patient did not undergo operation after a favorable response to medical treatment. In the other patients, an operation was indicated because of lack of response in 5 patients and the absence of diagnosis in 12 patients. Adequate debridement and a postoperative antituberculous regimen were performed with recurrence prevention in mind. A follow-up was obtained in 11 of the 17 patients undergoing operation. The only patient who required a second operation because of a recurrence at the same location had refused the antituberculous therapy after the first surgical procedure. Locations of the abscesses, computed tomographic scan results, and histologic examinations are in favor of a lymph-borne dissemination of tubercle bacilli. CONCLUSIONS: Because fine-needle aspiration remains an inaccurate diagnostic tool and antituberculous medical treatment is not always efficient, chest wall tuberculous cold abscesses remain in most cases a surgical entity.     

Stability of 5-aminolevulinic acid in aqueous solution

OBJECTIVE: To assess and contrast the role of interventional therapy for two types of cavitating pneumonias: lung abscess and necrotizing pneumonia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the imaging, interventional therapy, and outcome of 14 children seen between February 1987 and January 1996 with lung abscess and 9 with necrotizing pneumonia. All children were treated with antibiotics prior to intervention. Pulmonary parenchymal fluid was percutaneously aspirated from ten lung abscesses and three necrotizing pneumonias. Percutaneous catheters drained five lung abscesses. Pleural drainage was performed for three lung abscesses and eight necrotizing pneumonias. RESULTS: All 14 children with lung abscesses had positive Gram stains of the pulmonary fluid; 13 cultures were positive. All 14 defervesced within 48 h of intervention. None developed a bronchopleural fistula. All nine necrotizing pneumonias were presumed to be sequelae of prior pneumonia. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the only organism as documented by pleural fluid latex fixation in three patients, gram stain in two, and culture in only one. Seven of these children developed pneumatoceles, five developed bronchopleural fistulae, and three required long-term chest tubes for persistent pneumothoraces. CONCLUSION: Aggressive interventional therapy can be diagnostic and therapeutic in the infected lung abscess. Interventional therapy can be harmful in postinfectious necrotizing pneumonia.     

Cerebral abscess with special reference to the angiographic changes

From 1961 to 1973 forty patients with surgically confirmed intracranial abscesses had preoperative cerebral angiography. The findings were abnormal in all cases but one. In 20 patients (50%) the primary diagnosis was a space-occupying lesion. In 19 patients (47.5%) an abscess was suggested by the presence of a capsule, the only finding definitely diagnostic of an abscess. Subtraction technique provided essential information in detecting the capsule. Angiography proved indispensable in suggesting the nature of the lesion.     

Mortality in potential arterial switch candidates with transposition of the great arteries

OBJECTIVE: Prostatic abscesses are uncommon in clinical practice because early antibiotic therapy has reduced complications of prostatitis. Prostatic abscess mainly affects diabetic and immunosuppressed patients. The organisms most frequently involved are Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus, whereas gonococcus is rarely encountered. The results in eight men with prostatic abscess, five of whom were treated with sonographically guided percutaneous drainage, are reported. The diagnosis, clinically suspected in only three patients, was confirmed by transrectal sonography. All patients experienced complete abscess resolution. CONCLUSION: Transrectal sonography is the most reliable imaging method to diagnose prostatic abscess. Percutaneous transperineal or transrectal drainage is the first choice for therapy because of the lower risk of complication compared with surgery.     

Pseudotumor forms of demyelinating diseases. Report of three cases and review of the literature

INTRODUCTION AND CLINICAL CASES: We present three patients with unusual clinical findings studied in our hospital, after a period of follow-up of at least two years from the time of diagnosis of their demyelinating condition. We discuss the clinical onset, CT and magnetic resonance findings, neuropathological studies and posterior clinical course. Anatomopathological studies were done in two of the cases, since the diagnoses were not clear and the other paraclinical investigations did not clarify things. DISCUSSION: The presence of large space-occupying lesions or ring-like outlines in myelinating disorders may make it difficult to make a differential diagnosis from other conditions such as neoplasias and abscesses. This may lead to an erroneous initial diagnosis and even to the use of unsuitable, aggressive treatments. CONCLUSIONS: In young patients in whom radiological imaging suggests space-occupying lesions (single or multiple) one should consider the possibility of a primary demyelinating disease of the central nervous system with the appearance of a pseudo-tumour. In certain cases, stereotaxic biopsy should be considered if the diagnosis remains in doubt, rather than begin unsuitable treatment. The fundamental reason for the presentation of our cases is to emphasize that these pseudo-tumoral forms of demyelinating diseases should be considered in diagnosis.     

Retroperitoneal fibrosis: unusual localization

Six cases of retroperitoneal fibrosis, each with a different pathogenesis and unusual localization were observed from 1980 to 1996. Four patients had had previous surgery for a neoplasm, one patient had idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis, and the last patient was hardly classifiable due to the complexity of the clinical pattern. The mean survival in 3 patients with malignant retroperitoneal fibrosis was 7 months. Two patients treated with medical therapy are still alive and in good clinical condition. The aspecificity of the symptoms makes early diagnosis difficult. CT and NMR are essential procedures for differential diagnosis of abdominal masses. Histology differentiates benign from malignant retroperitoneal fibrosis. The choice between medical or surgical therapy depends on the general condition of each patient.     

Conservative initial treatment for liver abscesses in children

A total of 124 children aged less than 14 years with a liver abscess were seen in a 16-year period (1974-1990) and treated by non-operative initial management. Of the abscesses 98 occurred in the right liver and 26 in the left. The abscesses were solitary in 93 patients. Overall, 77 of the solitary and 21 of the multiple abscesses were confined to the right liver. In 78 of the right-sided and 20 of the left-sided abscesses the infection was primarily pyogenic in nature with Staphylococcus aureus being the usual organism cultured. The remainder were of amoebic origin. Clinical features were similar in patients with amoebic and pyogenic abscesses. Clinical and ultrasonographic follow-up demonstrated successful non-operative management and healing in 37 per cent of all patients submitted to an initial protocol of medical supportive care and antibiotic therapy. Of the multiple abscesses 60 per cent responded to non-operative management. Fourteen of the 16 solitary left-sided liver abscesses required drainage and three left-sided abscesses ruptured before drainage. Patients with a solitary left-sided abscess warrant early operative intervention.     

Presentation, diagnosis and treatment of renal abscesses: 1972-1988

We reviewed 61 consecutive patients with renal abscesses who were treated between 1972 and 1988 to determine whether the patient characteristics and mortality differed from those of patients treated during the preceding 2 decades. The results demonstrate that the predisposing conditions, symptomatology, abnormal physical findings, abnormal laboratory results, abnormal radiographic findings and infecting organisms of patients with renal abscesses have not changed during the last 40 years. Ultrasonography and computerized tomography, which became available in the 1970s, identified 35 of 38 (92%) and 23 of 24 (96%) abscesses, respectively. In 57 cases (97%) the abscess was drained and the patients survived. In 4 cases the abscess escaped clinical detection and contributed to patient death. The marked improvement of survival among patients with renal abscesses during the last 2 decades is attributable to improved diagnostic precision and, probably, improved antimicrobial therapy and supportive care.     

Iliopsoas abscess: etiology, diagnosis, and treatment

Iliopsoas abscess is a rarely encountered entity. Early diagnosis is hindered by a nonspecific clinical presentation. The resulting delays in therapy increase morbidity and mortality rates. Our recent experience with three cases of iliopsoas abscess is presented. Based on a review of the literature, diagnostic and treatment recommendations are made.     

Rupture of a splenic artery aneurysm intra partum

The rupture of a splenic artery aneurysm in pregnancy and during labour is a rare event with a high maternal and fetal mortality rate. This report is, in view of previously reported cases, on the thirteenth case of a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm reporting survival of both mother and fetus. The etiology, clinical signs, diagnosis and therapy are discussed with reference to consideration of the literature. The necessity of an early differential diagnostic consideration of this rare occurrence is discussed, because this is the only way to achieve survival of mother and fetus.