[Percutaneous drainage of renal and perirenal abscesses]

The prevalence of renal and perinephritic abscesses has radically changed over the last few decades basically due to two causes: the efficacy of antibiotics and early diagnosis by echography and/or CAT. Between January 1986 and December 1990, 12 cases of renal abscesses have been diagnoses in our Unit which have been treated conservatively through therapy with antibiotics and lumbar percutaneous drainage. Only one case was resolved with antibiotics alone; all other 11 cases needed drainage, in spite of a improvement in the symptoms, which was performed by translumbar puncture. Drainage was effective in 10 cases and the cultures found 5 cases of E. coli, 4 cases of Staphylococcus aureus and 1 case of Gram(-) bacilli. In the two cases where percutaneous drainage was not effective abscesses were produced by fungi: C. albicans and Mucor mycosis which caused highly solid septum and sphacelus requiring in both cases the use of open surgery. Currently this disease no longer represents a serious problem, it has a minimal morbidity and no mortality; only the group of high risk immunosupressed patients (AIDS, HIV (+), ADVEP) shows an increase in the number of cases and management in these patients continues to be problematic.