Can antibiotic treatment failure in tubo-ovarian abscess be predictable?

We aimed to identify factors that would predict the success of antibiotic treatment and the need for surgical treatment in tubo-ovarian abscess (TOA) patients.

The data of 146 patients with a diagnosis of TOA were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were separated into two groups; successfully treated with antibiotics and going under surgery after antibiotic treatment failure. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data of patients were examined between both groups that could determine the success of treatment.

In the surgical treatment group, age, body mass index (BMI), and C-reactive protein (CRP) values ​​were higher than the antibiotic treatment group (p = 0.017, p = 0.026, and p < 0.001 respectively). Patients who underwent surgery had a significantly larger abscess than those who received antibiotic therapy (79.4 ± 21.1 mm vs. 50.9 ± 13.2 mm, p < 0.001). Cut-off values of the findings, which were identified as risk factors in predicting the failure of antibiotic treatment, were found with ROC analyses. This cut-off was 41.5 years for age (sensitivity 71.3 %, specificity 60 %), 26.72 kg/m² for BMI (sensitivity 51.5 %, specificity 71.1 %), and 143.5 mg/L for CRP value on admission (sensitivity 68.3 %, specificity 71.1 %). The cut-off for abscess diameter was 62.5 mm (sensitivity 88.1 %, specificity 82.2 %).

Especially in large tubo-ovarian abscesses, early surgical intervention should be preferred considering the age, BMI, and CRP values.