Central nervous system infection caused by vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (SCCmec type IV,ST8)

A 77-year-old Japanese man with a history of surgical treatment of chronic subdural hemorrhage was hospitalized for drainage of a subdural abscess and brain abscess in the right occipital area. Pus obtained from both the subdural abscess and brain abscess grew vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) (minimum inhibitory concentration = 4 μg/mL), which was confirmed by population analysis. The SCCmec type and sequence type were subsequently identified as IV and ST8, respectively. The VISA strains were both sensitive to levofloxacin, clindamycin, minocycline, and linezolid. The patient was successfully treated with linezolid and discharged on day 51 after admission. We herein describe the first reported case of a brain abscess and subdural abscess caused by VISA in Japan.     

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous drainage of pyogenic splenic abscesses

This report summarizes the results of ultrasound-guided percutaneous drainage procedures in eight patients with solitary (n = 6) and multiple (n = 2) splenic abscesses. Seven patients underwent a total of 15 closed-needle aspirations with local installation of antibiotic solution. In one case, catheter drainage was performed. All patients received parenteral broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy. Seven (88%) of the eight patients with splenic abscesses recovered completely following percutaneous drainage procedures and none of these required splenectomy later. In one patient with multiple splenic abscesses, repetitive needle aspiration was ineffective, necessitating splenectomy. The only complication associated with nonsurgical percutaneous interventions was a pleural empyema that resolved with chest tube drainage (complication rate, 13%). These results and those reported in the literature indicate that pyogenic splenic abscesses can be treated effectively by (repetitive) closed aspiration technique or catheter drainage with a relatively low rate of complications. From our experience, splenectomy should only be performed in splenic abscesses that are not accessible percutaneously and in those cases with percutaneous drainage failure. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Ultrasound and gallium for the diagnosis of abdominal and pelvic abscesses

Two hundred and twenty-two patients presented with clinical suspicion of an abdominal or pelvic abscess. Abscesses tend to locate in the perihepatic spaces or the pelvis, and these areas can easily be examined by ultrasound, using the liver or the urinary bladder as acoustic windows. Thirty-eight of 42 abdominal abscesses, and 32 of 33 pelvic abscesses were correctly diagnosed and located by ultrasound, giving a sensitivity of 93.3%. Of the 145 patients without abscesses, 143 were correctly excluded, giving a specificity of 98.6%. Thirty of these patients also underwent gallium 67 examination. This detected all 7 true negatives and all 10 abscesses, 1 of which was missed by ultrasound. Of the remaining 13 patients with positive gallium results, 10 had nonspecific uptake in diffuse inflammatory conditions, and 3 were false positives with uptake in bowel or in a surgical wound. In those patients with nonspecific gallium uptake, ultrasound was valuable in documenting the absence of an abscess cavity. Conversely, gallium detected a left subphrenic abscess missed by ultrasound.For reasons of economy, speed, and high sensitivity, we believe that ultrasound should be the initial screening procedure for patients with clinical suspicion of abdominal or pelvic abscess. Gallium should be reserved for patients with equivocal ultrasound results or those with septic foci not revealed by ultrasound.     

Transoral Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Parapharyngeal Space Abscess

Background

Parapharyngeal space abscesses (PPSA) are deep-space neck infections that are associated with significant morbidity and, rarely, mortality if not promptly diagnosed and treated. The diagnosis is often difficult, as the clinical presentation can mimic peritonsillar abscesses (PTA). Transoral point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) may be a useful tool to help distinguish PTAs from other deep-space infections such as PPSAs.

Perihepatic,Pulmonary, and Renal Abscesses Due to Spilled Gallstones

Background

Spilled gallstones are common during laparoscopic cholecystectomy; however, they rarely lead to postoperative complications. Perihepatic abscesses develop in < 0.1% of patients with spilled gallstones and are typically contained within the peritoneal cavity.

Abscess Management: An Evidence-Based Review for Emergency Medicine Clinicians

BackgroundAbscesses are commonly evaluated and managed in the emergency department. Recent research has evaluated the use of ultrasonography, packing, incision and drainage (I&D), and antibiotics. There are evidence-based nuances to the management of specific types of abscesses, such as Bartholin, breast, dental, hidradenitis suppurativa, peritonsillar, and pilonidal abscesses.ObjectiveThis review provides emergency medicine clinicians with a summary of the current literature regarding abscess management in the emergency department.DiscussionUltrasound is valuable in diagnosing abscesses that are not clinically evident and in guiding I&D procedures. Although I&D is traditionally followed by packing, this practice may be unnecessary for small abscesses. Antibiotics, needle aspiration, and loop drainage are suitable alternatives to I&D of abscesses with certain characteristics. Oral antibiotics can improve outcomes after I&D, although this improvement must be weighed against potential risks. Many strategies are useful in managing Bartholin abscesses, with the Word catheter proving consistently effective. Needle aspiration is the recommended first-line therapy for small breast abscesses. Dental abscesses are often diagnosed with clinical examination alone, but ultrasound may be a useful adjunct. Acute abscess formation caused by hidradenitis suppurativa should be managed surgically by excision when possible, because I&D has a high rate of abscess recurrence. Peritonsillar abscesses can be diagnosed with either intraoral or transcervical ultrasound if clinical examination is inconclusive. Needle aspiration and I&D are both suitable for the management of peritonsillar abscesses. Pilonidal abscesses have traditionally been managed with I&D, but needle aspiration with antibiotics may be a suitable alternative.ConclusionsThis review evaluates the recent literature surrounding abscess management for emergency medicine clinicians.     

More Than Meets the Eye: Klebsiella pneumoniae Invasive Liver Abscess Syndrome Presenting with Endophthalmitis

Background

Endophthalmitis is a feared complication of pyogenic liver abscesses caused by hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. First described in East Asia in the 1980s, this invasive syndrome is only recently emerging in Europe and America.

Iliopsoas abscess caused by Aspergillus fumigatus complicated by pulmonary aspergillosis

We report a case of iliopsoas abscess caused by Aspergillus fumigatus with pulmonary complications. A 60-year-old man was admitted to the Showa University Hospital Department of Gastroenterology with fulminant hepatitis B on April 14, 2010, and treated with steroids. Although fulminant hepatitis B was improved by steroid and symptomatic therapy, he developed a fever on hospital day 39. The chest X-ray film showed a nodular lesion in the right middle-lower lung field, and both the (1 → 3)-β-d-glucan and Candida mannan antigen tests were positive. The β-d-glucan level increased despite treatment with fluconazole and other drugs, including low-dose micafungin. Abdominal computed tomography showed a low-density area in the right iliopsoas muscle. He was then referred to the Department of Clinical Infectious Diseases. A. fumigatus was isolated from the iliopsoas lesion and the pulmonary lesion after specimens were obtained by aspiration and bronchofiberscopy, respectively, leading to a diagnosis of fungal iliopsoas abscess. Steroid therapy was tapered early, the abscess was drained, and the micafungin dose was increased. This treatment led to improvement of the fever, inflammatory reaction, β-d-glucan level, and lesions of the lung and iliopsoas muscle. In preparation for discharge, treatment was changed to voriconazole (parenteral → per oral) followed by itraconazole (per oral). His clinical course was satisfactory, and there was no recurrence after antifungal therapy was stopped. We conclude that after invasive pulmonary aspergillosis developed, A. fumigatus spread hematogenously to create an extremely rare iliopsoas abscess. The β-d-glucan level closely reflected the response to treatment and was useful for follow-up.     

Amebic liver abscess: sonographic diagnosis and management

Over a period of 3 years, 68 intrahepatic abscesses in 48 patients were detected by ultrasonography at our institution in New Delhi, India. Our experiences with the sonography and management of this entity are presented. Multiple abscesses were present in 14 patients; the rest had a single abscess. The most common location was the right lobe of the liver. The sonographic morphology of the abscess was analyzed in terms of the echo pattern of the wall and contents of the abscess. These were later correlated with the duration of illness. An attempt was made to assess healing and thereby the age of the abscess. Follow-up ultrasound scans indicated that the change in sonographic appearance lags behind clinical improvement by a considerable period of time.     

穿刺抽脓在治疗先天性耳前瘘管脓肿过程中的效果

目的先天性耳前瘘管的治疗方法是在消除脓肿后进行手术治疗，消除脓肿的方法有传统的切开排脓和穿刺抽脓、局部换药两种，本文对两种方法治疗效果进行了观察比较。方法2003年以来的门诊收集病例。随机分为两组，治疗组采用穿刺抽脓，局部换药；对照组采用切开排脓的方法，观察愈合时间。结果治疗组的愈合时间明显短于对照组。结论在治疗先天性耳前瘘管急性感染期伴脓肿形成的疾病中，穿刺抽脓冲洗法具有明显的优越性，简单、实用、有效、值得推广。     

Aspiration and injection-based technique for incision and drainage of a sacrococcygeal pilonidal abscess

The incision and drainage of a sacrococcygeal abscess is a common procedure in the Emergency Department (ED) both to decrease a patient's pain and to improve the local wound conditions for subsequent definitive surgical therapy. However, the local infiltration of anesthetics is often problematic due to the unacceptable and unavoidable pain resulting from the injection itself, as well as the inability to achieve a complete anesthetic response. Therefore, standard textbooks generally recommend the concomitant use of local and systemic analgesics in the treatment of sacrococcygeal abscesses. We describe herein an alternative technique to administer local analgesia after the aspiration of an abscess for incision and drainage of a sacrococcygeal abscess that is safe and rapid. The patient is placed in the prone position and the buttocks are separated from the midline with adhesive tape. The technique involves needle aspiration of the abscess with consecutive slow injections of the same amount of local anesthetic into the abscess cavity via the same needle, followed by abscess drainage by incision and gentle curettage. This method therefore eliminates multiple infiltrations of the abscess and the surrounding area and obviates the associated pain due to the low volume of anesthetic required. The described technique is well tolerated by the patient and reduces the frequently encountered difficulty with incision and drainage of coccygeal abscesses in the ED.     

The Effects of Dexamethasone on the Time to Pain Resolution in Dental Periapical Abscess

BackgroundDental infections are frequently encountered in the emergency department (ED), with periapical abscesses being among the most painful. Traditional pain management strategies include local anesthetic injections, oral analgesics, and intravenous opioids.ObjectivesWe sought to identify an alternative pain management strategy with early use of dexamethasone as adjunct to conventional therapies for inflammation and pain at the site of infection.MethodsWe conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study comparing the analgesic effect of dexamethasone and placebo in ED patients with periapical abscess during a 2-year timeframe at two urban academic EDs. Adult patients presenting with physical examination findings consistent with a diagnosis of periapical abscess were randomized to receive oral dexamethasone or an identical placebo. Pain was assessed using the verbal numeric scale in person at discharge and via telephone at 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after discharge from the ED.ResultsSeventy-three patients were enrolled, with 37 receiving dexamethasone and 36 receiving placebo. Follow-up pain scores were obtained for 52 patients at 12, 24, 48, and 72 h. Ten patients from the dexamethasone group and 11 from placebo group were lost to follow-up. Patients who received dexamethasone reported a greater reduction in pain at 12 h compared with the placebo group (p = 0.029). Changes in pain scores from baseline and at 24, 48, and 72 h were not statistically significant. No adverse events were reported.ConclusionsSingle-dose dexamethasone as adjunct to conventional medical management for pain caused by periapical abscess demonstrated a significant reduction in pain 12 h post treatment compared with placebo.     

肾自截伴流注脓肿1例报道并文献回顾

目的 了解肾结核导致流注脓肿患者的临床表现、诊断、治疗及预后.方法 对川北医学院附属医院骨科诊断的1例肾自截伴流注脓肿患者的临床表现、实验室及影像学检查、治疗和预后进行分析,并回顾和总结国内外迄今为止关于肾结核致腰大肌脓肿的文献报道.结果 该例71岁女性患者以腰背部疼痛伴右臀部、右大腿根部包块处红肿热痛为主要症状,有低...     

The first case of deep neck abscess due to Filifactor alocis co-infected with Eggerthia catenaformis,Parvimonas micra,and Streptococcus constellatus

Filifactor alocis, an anaerobic Gram-positive rod, has garnered interest from its association with periodontal disease. Extraoral infections by F. alocis are rare; only seven cases have been reported. We report the first case in which we identified F. alocis as one of the causative organisms of a deep neck abscess. A 71-year-old male on hemodialysis came to our hospital with a fever and left buccal pain. The patient's left neck was swollen, and contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed an abscess with gas extending from the left cheek to the deep neck. We diagnosed the patient with a deep neck abscess and performed an urgent neck drainage. We isolated F. alocis, Eggerthia catenaformis, Parvimonas micra, and Streptococcus constellatus in the abscess and identified them using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Blood cultures were negative. We initiated treatment with piperacillin-tazobactam and vancomycin. The patient improved but developed a hemorrhagic duodenal ulcer on the third day of admission. We attempted endoscopic hemostasis, but the patient's bleeding continued. Ultimately, he died of the duodenal ulcer hemorrhage on the sixth day of admission. This is the first case of F. alocis detected in a deep neck abscess.     

Snapshot in surgery: brain abscess as a complication of a recurrent sigmoid diverticular abscess

A 35‐year‐old man was found to have a cerebral abscess secondary to a recurrent sigmoid diverticular abscess. Both cultures grew Streptococcus anginosus. Brain abscess is a rare but potential complication of sigmoid diverticulitis. Streptococcus anginosus, which is found in human gut flora, is a common cause of brain abscess.     

Tattooing: A potential novel risk factor for iliopsoas abscess

Iliopsoas abscess (IPA) is an uncommon infection. The clinical presentation is usually insidious. Most patients present with nonspecific symptoms, leading to difficulty in prompt and accurate diagnosis. Delay in diagnosis can lead to complications, such as sepsis and death. Tattooing has become more popular over the recent years and has been associated with tattooing-related and blood-borne infections. We present two related cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus IPA after tattooing and review the epidemiology, etiology, clinical features, and management of IPA.     

重症急性胰腺炎后胰腺脓肿引流方法的比较

目的：总结重症急性胰腺炎后胰腺脓肿的治疗经验,将脓肿加以分型,并就其引流方法与疗效的关系进行比较。以指导临床工作。方法：收集本院近20年共48例胰腺脓肿病例,根据胰腺脓肿的大小、位置和形状分成三型,采用剖腹引流、经皮穿刺引流、低位小切口不经腹引流和F管引流四种方法。结果：剖腹引流25例,其中8例需再次手术,3例经三次手术治愈,因大出血、肠痿等并发症死亡4例;经皮穿刺引流8例,4例治愈,4例中转开腹后治愈;经后腰低位小切口不经腹引流10例,均获痊愈。F管引流5例,治愈3例。结论：重症胰腺炎后胰腺脓肿引流方法的选择与治疗效果直接相关,脓肿分型与选择合适的引流方法对临床工作具有指导意义。     

Iliopsoas abscess in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Iliopsoas abscesses have been reported in adult diabetic patients, but only one case has been so far reported in the pediatric diabetic literature. We report three cases of iliopsoas abscesses in three adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus, suggesting that an increased awareness of this condition is required for its early recognition and prompt treatment.