[Splenic abscess: from diagnosis to treatment]

Splenic abscess are a rare and severe pathology causing difficulty in diagnosis and treatment. The Clinical presentation usually associated with abdominal pain in the left upper quadrant, fever and splenomegaly. Diagnosis will be confirmed by morphologic examination such as ultra sonography and computed tomography. Percutaneous drainage procedure made in first intention can be used either for curative purpose or to prepare patient for surgery. We report four cases of splenic abscess collected in our departement between 1997 and 2000 in which percutaneous drainage procedure was trial first. Two of them were successful and the others were completed by splenectomy.