The evolution of percutaneous abdominal abscess drainage: A review

Abdominal abscesses are commonly treated using percutaneous abscesses drainage (PAD). Despite PAD becoming commonplace in clinical practice, there are still unanswered questions and absent formal guidelines regarding its use. This narrative review discusses the evolution and different features of PAD, including the imaging modalities used in the process, catheter anatomy and sizes, placement techniques, the quantity of catheter side holes, and factors that determine the length of catheter stay and the usage of antibiotics for treating abdominal abscesses. Based on a retrospective review of the existing literature, this work is presented with an intent of identifying the most efficient design aspects and indications to optimize clinical success when performing PAD. This manuscript shows that there are still many unanswered questions and room for improvement regarding percutaneous drainage of abscesses.