Diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology in abdominal abscess formations

Abdominal abscesses as a complication of laparotomic surgery have a high mortality rate. The authors reviewed the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures of 36 patients who developed intra-abdominal abscesses after surgical treatment for abdominal neoplasias. The first-step diagnostic procedures (plain film of the abdomen and chest, CT and US) showed a sensibility of 78%. In 25/36 patients (69.5%) two interventional radiology procedures were performed: fine needle aspiration and catheter drainage of the abscess. In 16% of patients fine needle aspiration led to a complete evacuation of the abscess cavity and guaranteed the recovery. In 84% of cases a drainage catheter was positioned into the cavity and left indwelling. This case review is aimed at stressing how plain film of the abdomen is still a diagnostic procedure with high sensibility and specificity for this pathology, even though it is currently considered as a second-choice diagnostic step--US and CT being assessed as the methodologies of choice. The latter techniques can both provide a more accurate imaging when interventional radiology procedures are to be performed.