Association Between Abscess Size, Inflammatory Markers, and the Need for Drainage in Renal Abscesses

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Infectious Diseases
• Radiology

Background:

• Renal abscesses are serious urinary tract infection complications.
• Management decisions often rely on abscess size and clinical factors.
• A clear size threshold for intervention and the role of inflammatory markers remain uncertain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the relationship between renal abscess size, inflammatory markers (WBC, CRP), and the need for drainage.
• To inform clinical decision-making in managing renal abscesses.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 103 adult patients with renal abscesses (2020-2025).
• Patients categorized into groups based on abscess size: <50 mm and ≥50 mm.
• Analysis of comorbidities, causative organisms, antibiotic resistance, and treatment outcomes.

Main Results:

• Abscess size ≥50 mm was significantly associated with the need for percutaneous drainage (88.1% vs. 9.1%, p < 0.001).
• Larger abscesses correlated with lower hemoglobin levels, but not significantly with WBC or CRP.
• Conservative antibiotic therapy was effective in 42.7% of patients; 58.3% required drainage.

Conclusions:

• Renal abscess size is a key factor in determining the need for drainage.
• White blood cell count and C-reactive protein levels have limited predictive value for intervention in this cohort.
• Findings should be considered within the context of this study's retrospective design.