• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.244-250
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• 2006

Splenic abscess is a rare clinical condition with a reported incidence of 0.14 % to 0.70 % in various autopsy series. Primary tuberculosis of the spleen as a cause of splenic abscess is even rarer, especially in the antitubercular era. Infants and children have a higher predisposition to extra-pulmonary tuberculosis than adults and tend to develop severe extra-pulmonary disease such as miliary tuberculosis and meningitis. The diagnosis of tuberculosis in infants and children can be difficult because of nonspecific symptoms and clinical findings. Computed tomography establishes the diagnosis of splenic abscess and demonstrates the number and location of abscesses. Splenectomy is the standard of care in most clinical setting. We present a 4-year-old girl who had multiple tuberculosis splenic abscesses and was treated successfully with splenectomy.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.275-278
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• 1996

The placement of epidural catheter may cause complications such as epidural hematoma, epidural abscess and neural damage. Among the above complications, epidural abscess is a rare but serious complication. This report pertains to a diabetic metlitus patient who developed spinal epidural and subdural abscess after continuous epidural catheterization for management of pain caused by reflex sympathetic dystrophy. The patient experienced urinary incontinence, as a neurologic sign, 8 days after epidural catherization. In was considered that the poor prognosis was due to a combination effects of a delayed visit to the hospital for treatment, rapid progression of abscess and uncontrolled blood sugar level. We therefore recommend aseptic technique and proper control of blood sugar level to prevent infection during and after epidural catheterization for diabetic patients. Early diagnosis of epidural abscess following surgical procedure must be required to avoid sequelae.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.1098-1102
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• 2000

Pituitary abscess is a very rare disorder, since antibiotics therapy has become widely available. Clinically and radiologically, the preoperative diagnosis of pituitary abscess is difficult because of its features which may be identical to those of any space-occupying lesions of the sella turcica. A combination of clinical features, such as meningitis, paranasal sinusitis and panhypopituitarism with intrasellar cystic lesion with homogeneous ring enhancement on computed tomography or magnetic resonance image should raise the suspicion of a pituitary abscess. Drainage of the abscess through trans-sphenoidal approach, appropriate antibiotics therapy, endocrine assessment and hormonal replacement should bring complete recovery to the patient. The authors review the literature and report two cases of primary pituitary abscess.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.177-182
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• 2012

Background: Tuberculous abscess of the chest wall is a very rare disease. Few articles have reported on it and those that have enrolled few patients. To determine the characteristics of this disease and to suggest an optimal treatment strategy, we reviewed patients treated by surgical management. Materials and Methods: Between October 1981 and December 2009, 68 patients treated by surgical management for a tuberculous abscess of the chest wall were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Of 33 men and 35 women, 31 patients had a current or previous history of tuberculosis. The main complaints were chest pain, a palpable mass, pus discharge, and coughing. A preoperative bacteriologic diagnosis was performed in 12 patients. Abscess excision was performed in 54 cases, abscess cavity excision and partial rib resection in 13, and abscess excision and partial sternum and clavicle excision in 1 case. Postoperative wound infection was noted in 16 patients and a secondary operation was performed in 1 patient. Recurrence occurred in 5 patients (7.35%). Reoperation with abscess excision and partial rib resection was performed in all of the 5 cases. Conclusion: Complete excision of the abscess and primary closure of the wound with obliteration of space would decrease postoperative complications. Anti-tuberculosis medication may reduce the chance of recurrence.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.295-304
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• 2006

Inflammatory conditions of the breast are uncommon and may be encountered in the puerperal and nonpuerperal setting. Nonpuerperal mastitis is less common and usually presents with inflammation and chronic abscess formation in the periareolar and peripheral region. These abscess have a high rate of recurrence and are often associated with an underlying disease state, such as diabetes, steroid treatment, trauma or other kinds of a deficient immune system. The diagnosis is suggested by the history of sudden onset and the presense of swelling, tenderness, heat, erythema, and in the case of abscess, fluctuation. Ultrasound can also be useful. Treatment consists of antibiotic administration or incision and drainage of the abscess and, in cases of retroareolar abscess, resection of entire underlying duct system. Recently, we have gotten good result from treating two cases of nonpuerperal mastitis and breast abscess which had treatment of antibiotics and drainage three times but recurred. After taking gamijipaesan(加味芷貝散) and acupuncture treatment, they have recovered and haven't recurred in 8 months. So it proves that herb medication and acupuncture are effective on nonpuerperal chronic mastitis and breast abscess.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.95-102
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• 1986

Among the skeletal tuberculosis, tuberculous spondylitis is high incidence and curable disease, if early diagnosis and treatment are possible. We reviewed clinical manifestations and radiologic analysis of 30 cases tuberculous spondylitis from May 1983 to Sept. 1986, at Yeungnam medical center, Yeungnam University. The results were follows : 1. The frequent involve sites were thoracolumbar vertebra. 2. The continuous lesion is 86.7% of the all cases. 3. The most common type was intervertebral type, and lytic and sclerotic lesion were same incidence. 4. Paravertebral abscess, kyphosis and disc space narrowing were demonstrated more than 80.0% of the cases. 5. Computed tomography was more accurate diagnostic method rather than conventional plain study to evaluation of extent of lesion, involvement of spinal canal and cord, and size and location of paravertebral abscess. And CT guided abscess drainage procedure was helpful to diagnosis and treatment. 6. Ultrasonography was helpful to differential diagnosis between paravertebral abscess and other solid mass, and useful to follow up study of paravertebral abscess after treatment.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.37-40
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• 2008

Brucellosis, a zoonosis with worldwide distribution, is a systemic infection caused by facultative intracellular bacteria of the genus Brucella, which can involve multiple organs and tissues. We report an uncommon case of spondylodiscitis with epidural abscess due to Brucella in a male stockbreeder. Diagnosis was based on clinical history, and supported by Brucella serology and magnetic resonance imaging. Clinical and radiological improvement were observed with a combined antimicrobial therapy of doxycycline, rifampicin, and gentamycin.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.44-46
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• 2018

Tuberculosis of the retropharynx is extremely rare. The diagnosis is frequently delayed because of its anatomical location and atypical symptom. It would be crucial to consider tuberculosis infection as a possible source of abscess and should be mindful about the tests to diagnose it. We experienced a 23-year-old man with retropharyngeal abscess caused by tuberculosis presenting hypernasality and hoarseness in the throat. In this article, we reviewed the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of this case, with a review of literatures.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.271-275
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to report and discuss the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive atelectasis secondary to pus obstruction in a patient who had developed a maxillofacial abscess, and to review the literature on similar cases. Persistently discharging pus within the oral cavity can act as an aspirate, and may lead to obstructive atelectasis. Additionally, maxillofacial surgery patients should be carefully assessed for the presence of risk factors of obstructive atelectasis, such as, epistaxis after nasotracheal intubation, oral bleeding, and mucus secretion. Furthermore, patients with these risk factors should be continuously followed up by monitoring $SPO_2$, breath sounds, and chest x-ray.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.88-99
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• 2021

Objective : The treatment of choice for spinal epidural abscess (SEA) generally is urgent surgery in combination with intravenous antibiotic treatment. However, the optimal duration of antibiotic treatment has not been established to date, although 4-8 weeks is generally advised. Moreover, some researchers have reported that bacteremia is a risk factor for failure of antibiotic treatment in SEA. In this study, we investigated the clinical characteristics of SEA accompanied by bacteremia and also determined whether the conventional 4-8 weeks of antibiotic treatment is sufficient. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and radiological data of 23 patients with bacterial SEA who underwent open surgery from March 2010 to April 2020. All patients had bacteremia preoperatively and underwent weeks of perioperative antibiotic treatments based on their identified organisms until all symptoms of infection disappeared. All patients underwent microbiological studies of peripheral blood, specimens from SEA and concomitant infections. The mean follow-up duration was 35.2 months, excluding three patients who died. Results : The male : female ratio was 15 : 8, and the mean age was 68.9 years. The SEA most commonly involved the lumbar spinal segment (73.9%), and the mean size was 2.9 vertebral body lengths. Mean time periods of 8.4 days and 16.6 days were required from admission to diagnosis and from admission to surgery, respectively. Concomitant infections more frequently resulted in delayed diagnosis (p=0.032), masking the symptoms of SEA. Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly identified pathogen in both blood and surgical specimens. Seventeen patients (73.9%) showed no deficits at the final follow-up. The overall antibiotic treatment duration was a mean of 66.6 days, excluding three patients who died. This duration was longer than the conventionally advised 4-8 weeks (p=0.010), and psoas or paraspinal abscess required prolonged duration of antibiotic treatment (p=0.038). Conclusion : SEA accompanied by bacteremia required a longer duration (>8 weeks) of antibiotic treatment. In addition, the diagnosis was more frequently delayed in patients with concomitant infections. The duration of antibiotic treatment should be extended for SEA with bacteremia, and a high index of suspicion is mandatory for early diagnosis, especially in patients with concomitant infections.