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Updated: May 11, 2026
Posterior Approach for Debridement of the Psoas Abscess
Published on: March 2, 2020
Ultrasound-guided drainage of subcutaneous abscesses on the trunk is feasible
Søren Kjær1, Bo Rud, Morten Bay-Nielsen
1Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Hvidovre Hospital, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark. skjaer@dadlnet.dk
Introduction:
Subcutaneous trunk abscesses are frequent, and current treatment options generally involve incision. By contrast, the standard care for breast abscesses is ultrasound-guided drainage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of ultrasound-guided drainage combined with antibiotics in the treatment of subcutaneous abscesses on the trunk.
Material And Methods:
In this prospective study, 27 patients were treated with ultrasound-guided needle aspiration and oral antibiotics. Follow-up was performed at a 3-6-day interval, and the procedure was repeated if the abscess was not obliterated.
Results:
Treatment was initially successful in 25 of the 27 participants (93%); two patients went on to surgery. The median time from first treatment to the final control visit was nine days. The 25 patients with initial successful treatment were contacted after a median of 84 days, and six (24%) of these reported recurrence of an abscess at the puncture site. 88% of the patients reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with ultrasound-guided drainage.
Conclusion:
Our results indicate that ultrasound-guided drainage combined with antibiotics is feasible in the treatment of small subcutaneous abscesses on the trunk. Ultrasound-guided drainage was well-tolerated, had a high degree of success and short healing times. Additional randomised studies are needed to verify our findings.
Funding:
not relevant.
Trial Registration:
not relevant.
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