A Rare Case of Retroperitoneal Abscess Caused by Nephro-Colic Fistula Resulting from Staghorn Calculus.

BACKGROUND Nephro-colic fistulas are uncommon, generally caused by local inflammation, trauma, or neoplasia affecting the kidney or the colon. Their association with a coralliform stone is described in a few case reports, but their management is difficult and differs quite a lot, depending on the clinical situation. We report an atypical clinical case of a reno-colic fistula associated with a staghorn calculus. This case adds to the literature an iconography rarely found. CASE REPORT A 68-year-old woman presented to the Emergency Department with respiratory symptoms and chronic abdominal pain. The biological results showed a high inflammatory syndrome. The radiological assessment revealed a retroperitoneal and left retro-renal abscess, attributed to a left nephro-colic fistula associated with the partial passage of a lithiasis within the colonic lumen. Colonoscopy confirmed the diagnosis. Multiple recurrences of diverticulitis in this region could be the origin of the complication. First, the patient was treated with antibiotic therapy and radiological drainage. Second, she benefited from a left nephrectomy, left segmental colectomy, and splenectomy. The clinical and radiological evolution were favorable after surgery. The follow-up was disrupted by hospitalizations in the Cardiology Department for cardiac decompensation. CONCLUSIONS Kidney stones along with local inflammatory phenomena can be the cause of a nephro-colic fistula. Due to the lack of guidelines in such cases, their diagnosis and management are difficult to ascertain. Surgery is the right course of treatment.

Acute Peritonitis and Pelvic Abscess Secondary to Abdominal Tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, continues to be a global health concern with high morbidity and mortality rates. Extrapulmonary TB (EPTB), which affects various organs beyond the lungs, presents a diagnostic challenge due to its diverse clinical and radiological manifestations. Herein, we describe the case of a middle-aged woman with severe lower abdominal pain, vomiting, night fevers, and other symptoms. Clinical and radiological examinations revealed pelvic abscesses and peritonitis. Exploratory laparoscopy uncovered intraabdominal adhesions, a pus-containing abscess cavities, and biopsies confirmed Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Post-operative pulmonology consultations comprising sputum cultures for TB detection were conducted, and the patient was started on anti-tuberculosis medications. This case highlights the complexity of diagnosing abdominal TB and the importance of a comprehensive diagnostic approach.

Efficacy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided pelvic abscess drainage for pelvic abscesses: A case series study.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIM: This is a retrospective study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided pelvic abscess drainage (EUS-PAD) in a single hospital setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The referral criteria for EUS-PAD included patients with a pelvic abscess (PA) that was amenable for the procedure. A total of 14 patients with PA treated with EUS-PAD were included in this study. The mean patient age was 57.4 years, and male-to-female ratio was 7:7. Overall, there were six cases of appendiceal perforation, five of rectal cancer and one case each of the diverticular perforation, perianal abscess, and walled-off necrosis. RESULTS: Overall, 100% of procedures were successful. Clinical success was achieved in 11 patients and they were discharged after EUS-PAD within 21.4 days on an average and the average duration of stent placement before removal was 27.0 days. Of all, six patients achieved complete improvement status where the cause was appendiceal perforation while two and one of the patients were recovered where the causes were post-curative operation for carcinoma and walled-off necrosis, respectively. Eight out of eleven patients who exhibited appendiceal perforation or underwent radical rectal cancer surgery were discharged after an average of 9.4 days post EUS-PAD. Although two patients showed temporary improvement, with perianal abscess and controlled rectal carcinoma, the PA worsened as the primary disease intensified. The PA drainage was ineffective in three patients where two of them had uncontrolled rectal cancer and one had diverticular perforation. CONCLUSION: Conclusively, the EUS-PAD is not only a reliable, safe, and efficient alternative to surgical and percutaneous drainage but also a valuable procedure with a high success rate for patients with acute infections, such as those who have had an appendiceal perforation or curative surgery. Poor indications and contraindications for EUS-PAD include uncontrolled gastrointestinal perforation and direct tumor invasion.

Complicated appendicitis with scrotal fistula: case report and review of the literature.

Appendicitis is the most common emergency abdominal surgery today. Although its common complications are well-known, retroperi-toneal abscess and scrotal abscess are rare and less known complications. In this study, we presented our patient who presented with appendicitis complicated with retroperitoneal abscess and scrotal fistula after appendectomy, and the literature review we conducted through PubMed. A 69-year-old man was admitted to the emergency department with complaints of abdominal pain, nausea-vomiting continuing for about 7 days, and fever and mental status change in the last 24 h. He was taken to emergency surgery with the pre-liminary diagnosis of perforation and retroperitoneal abscess. At laparotomy, perforated appendicitis and associated retroperitoneal abscess were seen. An appendectomy was performed, and the abscess was drained. The patient, who stayed in the intensive care unit for 4 days due to sepsis, was discharged on the 15th postoperative day with full recovery. He was admitted 15 days after his discharge because of an abscess from the scrotum. Percutaneous drainage was performed in the patient, whose tomography revealed an abscess extending from the retroperitoneal area to the left scrotum. The patient, whose abscess regressed, was discharged with recovery 17 days after hospitalization. These rare complications associated with appendicitis should be on the minds of surgeons to make an early diagnosis. Delay in treatment may lead to increased morbidity and mortality.

Splenic abscess due to non-operative management of splenic injury: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Splenic abscess is a rare disease, with incidence of 0.2-0.7% in previous studies. It often appears with left upper quadrant abdominal pain, fever, chills. Splenic abscess often happens because of hematogenous spreading of infections, endocarditis, angioembolization and some other rare reasons. Treatment relies on one of these two methods: percutaneous drainage or surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: A 68-year-old diabetic Asian female (Asian woman) presented with generalized abdominal pain, low blood pressure, tachycardia, fever, lethargy and elevated level of blood sugar. She had history of conservative therapy in intensive care unit due to blunt abdominal trauma and splenic injury. She had a huge splenic abscess in ultrasonography and computed tomography scan so she went under splenectomy. Our patient had a splenic abscess without performing any intervention like angioembolization. CONCLUSION: Immune compromised patients who are selected for nonoperative management after splenic injury need close follow up and evaluating about abscess formation for at least 2 weeks. Early diagnosis and treatment with two methods including percutaneous drainage or splenectomy should be considered and it depends on patient's risk factors, vital signs, general conditions and presence or absence of sepsis.

Can magnetic resonance imaging replace computed tomography scans in the evaluation of pediatric post-appendectomy abscess?

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography scans have been used when cross-axial imaging is required to evaluate pediatric post-appendectomy abscesses. To reduce a source of radiation exposure, our institution converted to using contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging to replace computed tomography scans in this clinical context. Our aim is to evaluate the performance of magnetic resonance imaging compared to computed tomography scans and associated clinical outcomes in this patient population. METHODS: A contrast-enhanced comprehensive magnetic resonance imaging protocol was implemented to evaluate a post-appendectomy abscess in 2018. A retrospective chart review was performed from 2015 to 2022 for pediatric patients (<18 years old) with prior appendectomy and subsequent cross-sectional imaging to evaluate for an intraabdominal abscess. Patient characteristics and clinical parameters between the 2 modalities were abstracted and compared using standard univariate statistics. RESULTS: There were a total of 72 post-appendectomy patients who received cross-axial imaging, which included 43 computed tomography scans and 29 magnetic resonance imaging during the study interval. Patient demographics were comparable between cohorts and rates of perforated appendicitis at the index operation (computed tomography: 79.1% vs magnetic resonance imaging: 86.2%). Missed abscess rate, abscess size, management technique, drainage culture results, readmission, and reoperation were similar between imaging modalities. Median request to scan time was longer for magnetic resonance imaging than computed tomography (191.5 vs 108 minutes, P = .04). The median duration of a comprehensive magnetic resonance imaging scan was 32 minutes (interquartile range 28-50.5 minutes). CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging provides an alternative cross-sectional imaging modality to computed tomography scans to evaluate pediatric post-appendectomy abscesses.

Postoperative Capnocytophaga Sputigena Presenting as Diffuse Recalcitrant Intra-abdominal Abscesses.

Capnocytophaga sputigena is rarely implicated as the cause of postsurgical intra-abdominal abscess because it is almost exclusively found in oral flora. Despite its rarity in intra-abdominal infection, there are examples of this atypical presentation, and an awareness of this organism as a potential etiology of surgical infection is relevant for both obstetric and general surgeons. We report a case of a young female who presented just over a week after an uncomplicated C-section with complaint of abdominal discomfort and fevers. Imaging revealed multiple intra-abdominal fluid collections and cultures revealed the presence of C. sputigena. Percutaneous drainage and intravenous antibiotics were unable to provide significant source control, so she underwent surgical exploration with a multi-specialty team of obstetric and acute care surgeons. Although postsurgical pelvic abscesses are rarely due to C. sputigena, this organism has been documented to serve as a source of intra-abdominal infection.

Intra-abdominal abscess caused by Streptococcus constellatus in an immunocompetent patient.

Streptococcus constellatus is a Gram-positive commensal bacterium of the oropharyngeal, gastrointestinal and urogenital flora. It can cause abscesses in different parts of the body, especially in immunocompromised patients. We present the clinical case of a 33-year-old female patient with a previous history of one anastomosis gastric bypass, among others. The patient was hospitalized two years after surgery for peritonitis secondary to a perforation in the biliopancreatic loop, underwent laparoscopic surgery and was hospitalised for two weeks. Fifteen days after being discharged from the hospital, she went to the emergency service for abdominal pain and fever. An abdominal and pelvic computerized tomography (CT) scan showed a multiloculated pelvic collection with thickened and hypercapillary walls.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage of pelvic abscess: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: As an emerging minimally invasive technology, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has been reported to treat pelvic abscess instead of surgical or image-guided percutaneous drainage (PCD) under certain conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of EUS-guided drainage for patients with pelvic abscesses. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive literature search on PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases (inception-March 2022). The main outcomes were technical success, clinical success, and complications. Comprehensive meta-analysis software was used to calculate the pooled event rate. RESULTS: Twelve studies containing 272 patients were included. These pelvic abscesses most frequently developed after abdominal and pelvic surgery (n = 180, 66.2%), inflammatory bowel disease (n = 32, 11.8%), and other inflammatory conditions. Respectively, the pooled technical and clinical success rate was 100% and 88.7% [95% confidence interval (CI): 83.8-92.2%, I2 = 1.0%, p < 0.001]. After excluding an individual study, the pooled rate of complications changed from 11.5% (95% CI: 7.4-17.4%, I2 = 38.8%, p < 0.001) to 8.2% (95% CI: 5.0-13.3%, I2 = 0, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: EUS-guided drainage of the pelvic abscess was feasible, effective, and safe. Further randomized-controlled studies with large-sample sizes were required in the future.