RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis is presently well controlled with surgical treatment and medication. In the case of tuberculous cervical abscess, variable treatment modalities are introduced by many authors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In our cases, surgical treatments such as incision and drainage, mass excision and selective neck dissection, combined with chemotherapy were performed in 15 patients with tuberculous cervical abscesses. The results were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The results showed that in cases of simple drainage, a second operation was required to excise the residual infected tissues which were caused by persistent sinus discharge. In the case of mass excision, some local problems occurred, albeit less commonly. In both groups, local wound problems took up a lot of time and effort for treatment. In cases of selective neck dissection, which is a more wide excision around the abscess, there were no recurrence nor any local wound problems. Tuberculous cervical abscess treated with selective neck dissection showed better surgical outcomes with low morbidity and no severe complications. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, we recommend a wide excision as a therapeutic modality in cases of tuberculous cervical abscess.