Management of splenic abscess

Abstract EN

Splenic abscess is a rare clinical entity with an incidence of 0.

2 to 0 .7 % in autopsy based studies.

untreated splenic abscess is associated with nearly 100% mortality.

This study aimed to clarify the risk factors and management of splenic abscess.

This is a retrospective and prospective study of patients with splenic abscess treated at Al-Sader Teaching Hospital over a six-year period.

Ten patients were managed.

they were six males and four females aged range 11 to 31 years, duration of symptoms ranged from 2 to 30 days.

the main symptoms were fever, chills, left hypochondrial pain, anorexia and weight loss and the main physical signs were ; Left upper abdominal tenderness, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly and distension.

Six patients were treated by antibiotics and splenectomy.

Three patients were treated by antibiotics and open drainage of the abscess and one patient was treated conservatively by antibiotics.

It is concluded that prompt diagnosis and treatment based on high index of suspicion will reduce the high morbidity associated with this rare disease.

it is hoped that as appropriate skills and imaging techniques become more available in our country more splenic abscess could be managed by percutanous drainage specially when there is a solitary abscess cavity.