Tissue plasminogen activator for the treatment of intraabdominal abscesses in a neonate

Fibrinolytic agents have been used successfully in the management of loculated empyema; however, their use in the treatment of intraabdominal abscesses is limited. The authors describe the case of a 4-week-old girl with intraabdominal abscesses secondary to intestinal perforation that were not amenable to percutaneous drainage, but were managed successfully with intracavitary administration of tissue-plasminogen activator. This case represents the first report in a human, in which tissue-plasminogen activator was used to facilitate percutaneous drainage of an intraabdominal abscess. It is also the first time a fibrinolytic agent has been used for this purpose in a child.