Peritonsillar Abscess Outcomes with and Without Computed Tomography: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is a common deep space head and neck infection, which can be diagnosed with or without computed tomography (CT). CT poses a risk for false positives, leading to unnecessary abscess drainage attempts without benefit, whereas needle or open aspiration without imaging could potentially lead to missed abscess in need of treatment. This study considered the utility and impact of obtaining CT scans in patients with suspected PTA by comparing outcomes between CT and non-CT usage. METHODS: Retrospective cohort analysis using TriNetX datasets compared the outcomes of two cohorts: PTA without CT and PTA with CT. Measured outcomes included incision and drainage; quinsy adenotonsillectomy; recurrent PTA; airway emergency/obstruction; repeat emergency department (ED) visits; and need for antibiotics, opiates, or steroids. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated using a cohort analysis. RESULTS: The CT usage group had increased odds of receiving antibiotics (OR 3.043, [2.043-4.531]), opiates (OR 1.614, [1.138-1.289]), and steroids (OR 1.373, [1.108-1.702]), as well as a higher likelihood of returning to the ED (OR 5.900, [3.534-9.849]) and developing a recurrent PTA (OR 1.943, [1.410-2.677]). No significant differences were observed in the incidence of incision and drainage, quinsy adenotonsillectomy, or airway emergency/obstruction. CONCLUSION: Our study indicated that CT scans for PTA diagnosis were associated with increased prescription of antibiotics, opioids, steroids, return ED visits, and recurrent PTA. Future prospective trials are needed to determine if the use of CT scans indicates higher patient acuity that explains the potential negative outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II Laryngoscope, 2024.

Giant Thyroid Gland Abscess Causing Upper Airway Obstruction: A Case Report.

Background: Thyroid gland abscess is a rare pathology with life-threatening complications when there is a delay in diagnosis. However, physicians should be aware of and consider this differential in patients with anterior neck swelling having acute onset compressive symptoms to ensure early diagnosis and management. Case Presentation: A 62-year-old female patient presenting with worsening of painful anterior neck swelling with associated fever, shortness of breath, and difficulty swallowing. The patient was found to have a thyroid abscess causing upper airway obstruction, against a background of follicular nodular disease found on clinical examination, cytology and fluid analysis from aspirate, biopsy, ultrasonography, and computed tomography. The patient was managed with endotracheal intubation and was subsequently discharged after recovery with antibiotic therapy, incision and drainage, and thyroid lobectomy. Conclusion: Thyroid abscess is an uncommon, critical clinical condition with high morbidity and mortality. Thyroid gland abscess should be considered while evaluating patients presenting with acute onset anterior neck swelling. Satisfactory clinical outcomes could be achieved with early diagnosis and proper management.

A Reproducible Peritonsillar Abscess Incision and Drainage Model for Junior Trainees.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the design and construction of a reproducible, low-cost, peritonsillar abscess (PTA) incision and drainage simulator and assess its impact on trainees' confidence. METHODS: The 2-part simulator we developed consisted of a manikin head with a fixed, partially open mouth and a modular PTA mold. The mold is created by injecting a lotion and water mixture into plastic bubbles, followed by silicone solidification. Neodymium magnets secure the silicone-abscess packet to the manikin's palate. The simulator was utilized during an academic otolaryngology residency training program Annual Otolaryngology Boot Camp. A self-assessment Likert scale questionnaire was used to evaluate participants' confidence before and after simulator training. Fourth-year medical students and junior (first and second year) residents who participated in the boot camp and agreed to complete the evaluation were included. RESULTS: Three medical students, 17 PGY-1, and 10 PGY-2 residents agreed to complete the evaluation. All trainees agreed the model was useful for learning skills. The overall post-training confidence Likert scores of participants, and PGY-1 residents in particular, significantly improved compared to their pre-training scores (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Our model offers an affordable and efficient training opportunity for residents to enhance their competence in managing PTAs. This approach, with its simple yet effective design and low production cost, shows potential for scalability on a broader scale.

"Emergency Room Incision and Drainage of Perirectal Abscess is Equivalent to Incision and Drainage in the Operating Room".

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines for management of anorectal abscesses make no recommendations for operative vs bedside incision and drainage (I&D). The purpose of this study was to determine if management in the operating room is necessary to adequately drain anorectal abscesses and prevent short-term complications for patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). METHODS: Patients with perirectal abscesses were identified and divided into two groups based on intervention type: "bedside" or "operative." Demographic, laboratory, and encounter data were obtained from the medical record. Study outcomes included 30-day complications (return to the ED, reintervention, and readmission). Data were analyzed with univariate and multivariate analyses using SPSS (version 28). RESULTS: A total of 113 patients with anorectal abscesses were identified. Sixty-six (58%) underwent bedside I&D and 47 (42%) operative I&D. The overall complication rate was 10%. A total of 9 patients (6 bedside and 3 operative) returned to the ED. Six of these patients required reintervention (5 bedside and 1 operative), and 1 was readmitted. Two patients from the bedside group required a second I&D during their index admission. Pre-procedure SIRS (P = .02) was found to be associated with 30-day complications. Provider specialty and training level were not associated with 30-day complications. DISCUSSION: In this study, for patients presenting to the ED, bedside drainage was found to be an adequate management strategy to achieve complete drainage without a significant increase in the rate of complications when compared to operative drainage.

An integrative ayurvedic approach in management of breast abscess - A case report.

A focus has been placed particularly on the description of breast abscesses (sthana vidradhi in Ayurveda terms). Breast inflammation known as mastitis has the potential to develop into a breastabscess in the future. The term "stana roga," refers to breast disorders and describes breast abscesses, is mentioned in the ancient works Sushruta Samhita, Madhava Nidana, and Bhavaprakasha. Breast abscesses are typically treated surgically by making an incision over the area of greatest fluctuation (or pain) and breaking the abscess septa with digits. For a few days, the abscess chamber is left untreated or gauze-packed, with dressing changes made as needed to facilitate wound granulation. The current report was aimed at management of the breast abscess through an integrated approach comprising surgical and medicinal intervetions as mentioned in Ayurveda classics. A 32-year-old female patient with pain and swelling in right breast was diagnosed with breast abscess in Shalya (Surgery) OPD and managed primarily by incision and drainage which was followed by regular dressing and ayurvedic medications which encouraged appreciable granulation in a short period of time with complete healing of the abscess. This case study presents the successful management of breast abscesses with both surgical & Ayurvedic management.

Acute Intratonsillar Abscess in an Adult: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Intratonsillar abscess (ITA) is rarely reported. Here, we present an uncommon case of acute ITA in an adult, discuss the evaluation and treatment plan, and review the ITA literature.  The abscess reported in the present study was diagnosed through a combination of clinical findings and computed tomography imaging, and treatment included drainage, intravenous (IV) clindamycin, and IV dexamethasone. The literature reports 72 ITA cases with specified treatments: 21 (29.2%) in adults, 19 (26.4%) in children, and 32 (44.4%) in patients of unspecified ages. Among them, 25 (34.7%) responded to antibiotics alone, 11 (15.3%) to needle aspiration and antibiotics, and 36 (50.0%) needed further intervention. Based on the presented case and literature review, we suggest the use of IV antibiotics with needle aspiration as the primary treatment for acute ITA. Incision and drainage (I&D) with antibiotics should be reserved for cases unresponsive to initial measures, and tonsillectomy is recommended for recurrent post-I&D cases.

Impact of the COVID-19 era on clinical presentation, management and microbiology in paediatric peritonsillar abscess: A case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is the most common soft-tissue infection of the head and neck. This potential complication of tonsillitis has demonstrated unique microbial trends during the COVID-19 pandemic. This era has resulted in a major shift in the hygiene and social habits of the general population, which has resulted in changes in the presentation, management and microbiology of several infectious diseases. To date, the impact of COVID 19 on PTA microbiology and clinical presentation in the paediatric population has yet to be investigated. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review comparing all cases of paediatric (age 0-18) PTA in an academic tertiary centre during the COVID-19 pandemic (03/2020-02/2022) and compared them to two control groups: pre-COVID (03/2018-02/2020) and post-COVID (03/2022-03/2023). All patients were treated with either needle aspiration, incision and drainage or both means in addition to intravenous antibiotics. SETTING: A large Ear Nose and Throat department in a tertiary referral center. PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive children aged 18 years or under, admitted with a diagnosis of Peritonsillar abscess. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We analyzed the clinical and microbiologcal features of all cases of pediatric peritonsillar abscess during the COVID-19 era (03/2020-02/2022) and compared them to a pre and post control cases. RESULTS: A total of 96 PTA cases were included (35 pre-COVID, 35 COVID and 26 post-COVID). The means of procedural treatment shifted in favour of incision and drainage versus needle aspiration during the COVID era. The length of hospitalisation increased during the COVID era (3.6 days vs. 2.1 and 3.1 pre and post-COVID respectively, p < .001). No other notable differences in the clinical and demographic features were found between the three eras. The COVID-19 era saw an increase in Fusobacterium (37.1% vs. 8.6% and 24% pre and post-COVID, respectively; p = .008) and Streptococcus Anginosus (31.4% vs. 5.7% and 7.7% pre and post-COVID, respectively; p = .007) species isolation. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic did not seem to impact the clinical presentation of paediatric PTA yet resulted in a change in microbiological pathogens. The choice of I&D as a means to shorten hospital stay during the pandemic may have led to an actual increase in hospital stay, suggesting that NA may be the preferred management approach.

The peritonsillar abscess and its management - is incision and drainage only a makeshift to the tonsillectomy or a permanent solution?

Introduction: This study aims to examine the long-term management of peritonsillar abscess and compare needle aspiration, incision with drainage, and tonsillectomy in terms of comorbidities, complication rates, and recurrences in the largest study cohort published to date. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients, both adults and children, who were treated for peritonsillar abscess between 2007 and 2019. Patient charts were analyzed to assess surgical treatment, infection and inflammation rates, risk of bleeding, recurrence rates, duration of illness, and sick certificates. Additionally, patient imaging and blood levels were compared. Postal questionnaires were sent to all patients to evaluate subjective success rates, complications, and long-term benefits of the different treatment regimens. General practitioners and ENT doctors in private practices were contacted to gather missing data on the long-term course of the disease. Results: A total of 821 patients with peritonsillar abscess were included in this study. Two patients had to be excluded due to incidental pathological findings. Of the remaining 819 patients, 180 were successfully treated with needle aspiration or incision. Among these patients, 37.7% required tonsillectomy during the same inpatient stay. Laboratory parameters such as leukocyte count or C-reactive protein levels were not indicative of the need for tonsillectomy. Furthermore, computed tomography was only necessary in cases of suspected parapharyngeal abscess, not in clear cases of peritonsillar abscess. Among the 641 patients who underwent tonsillectomy, 11.4% experienced postoperative bleeding requiring treatment. Only patients who underwent bilateral tonsillectomy reported recurrent episodes of sore throat and pharyngitis resulting in absence from work. The ipsilateral recurrence rate for peritonsillar abscess after needle aspiration or incision was 2.8%. There were no contralateral recurrences during the observation period. Conclusion: Due to the lower risk of postoperative bleeding, shorter absence from work, and shorter inpatient stay, incision and drainage are the preferable treatment for peritonsillar abscess. Additionally, patients who underwent bilateral tonsillectomy reported higher rates of work incapacity due to sore throat caused by pharyngitis. No patient met the clear indication for bilateral tonsillectomy due to recurrent acute tonsillitis. The recurrence rate after drainage without tonsillectomy was very low (2.8% ipsilaterally, no recurrence contralaterally).

A Complex Surgical Case of a Morel-Lavallee Lesion.

A Morel-Lavallee lesion (MLL) is a rare internal denudement injury of skin and hypodermis from deep fascia, usually occurring hours to days after an inciting trauma. A common location is the pelvis or thigh where there is prominent vascularization and may mimic diagnoses such as deep vein thrombosis or contusion. Fluid collections that persist despite conservative management require surgical intervention and frequent and prolonged hospitalizations as in this case of a patient with a persistent MLL. We emphasize early imaging for diagnosis and surgical service involvement, as delay may lead to persistent symptoms and worse health outcomes.

Postoperative packing of perianal abscesses following incision and drainage.

A best evidence topic in general surgery was written according to a structured protocol, to address the question: in adult patients with perianal abscesses, should postoperative wound packing be undertaken considering the rates of pain experienced, wound healing and abscess recurrence? The literature search identified 159 papers on Ovid, Embase and Medline and 48 on PubMed. These were independently screened, and three articles were included in this review as these offered the best information to answer the question. One was a systematic review without meta-analysis, one was a randomised controlled trial and one was a multicentre observational study. Review of these articles led the authors to conclude that routine postoperative packing of perianal abscesses following incision and drainage is costly, associated with increased pain and confers no protection against recurrence of abscesses or formation of fistulae.

Phyllodes Tumor of the Breast Complicated With Mastitis.

One of the rarest fibro-epithelial neoplasms of the breast during pregnancy is the phyllodes tumor (PT). It is typically a painless, bi-phasic, and rapidly growing neoplasm that resembles fibroadenomas. It is still unclear if the neoplasm is hormone-dependent during pregnancy. It is often challenging to diagnose and treat PT. Herein, we report a case of a 30-year-old female at 31 weeks gestation who was diagnosed with a benign phyllodes tumor of her breast with concurrent mastitis. She was first seen during her third trimester where the neoplasm was around 5 cm as reported by the ultrasound (US) examination. Her biopsy report was suggestive of a PT and she was advised surgery with excision of the tumor margin, but she refused. Ten days after her delivery she presented to the emergency department with a fever and a hard, engorged, erythematous, and tender left breast. She was diagnosed with mastitis of the left breast. She then underwent incision and drainage of the left breast that drained purulent milk; additionally, large necrotic grape-like tissues were removed and were confirmed by the histopathology report as a benign phyllodes tumor of the breast.

A novel low-cost model of superficial abscess for trainee education in incision and drainage.

Background: Proficiency in ultrasound usage is quickly becoming an expectation in multiple residency programs: emergency medicine, obstetrics-gynecology, surgery, and internal medicine. There is a lack of affordable training devices for ultrasound training and identification of superficial fluid collections. We sought to develop a model for trainee education in ultrasound usage, identification of superficial fluid collection, aspiration, and incision & drainage (I&D). Materials & methods: Commercially available products were used to develop a novel, low-cost model for ultrasound-guided aspiration and I&D of an abscess. A latex balloon embedded in silicone gel construct simulated a superficial fluid collection when examined with an ultrasound probe and monitor. A 18-gauge needle on a 10-cc syringe were used for aspiration, and a 15-blade disposal scalpel with 0.25″ packing strip used for I&D. Results: Approximately six hours are required to generate 24 individual models of a superficial abscess. Following an initial investment, each model costs less than $1 USD to produce. Compared to commercially available models, this represents a significant savings. This model was utilized during the medical school academic year as a teaching aid for medical students to simulate ultrasound-guided identification, aspiration, and incision and drainage of a superficial abscess. Conclusions: We successfully produced an affordable, low-cost model of a superficial fluid collection for training in ultrasound usage, aspiration, and I&D. The model represents significant savings over commercially available alternatives and can be easily replicated for trainee education.

Validation of an Educational Tool for Skin Abscess Incision and Drainage by Delphi and Angoff Methods.

BACKGROUND: Bedside incision and drainage (I&D) of skin abscesses is a common medical procedure performed in a variety of medical settings. Yet, there is a paucity of published validated educational tools to teach and assess competency for this procedure. OBJECTIVE: To validate an educational tool to teach and assess competency for bedside I&D of skin abscesses via the Delphi consensus and Angoff standard setting methods. DESIGN: Expert consensus on the importance of each procedural step in the educational tool was obtained using the Delphi method, consisting of four rounds of iterative revisions based on input from a panel of experts. The passing cut-off score for a proficient provider was determined using the modified dichotomous Angoff method. PARTICIPANTS: All participants met the minimum criteria of active involvement in resident education and performance of at least 20 skin abscess I&D's within the past 5 years. Participant specialties included general surgery, emergency medicine, and internal medicine. MAIN MEASURES: The primary outcome was consensus on procedural steps and errors, defined as an interquartile range ≤ 2 on a 9-point Likert scale. A cut-off score was determined by the average across all respondents for the anticipated number of errors that would be committed by a provider with the level of proficiency defined in the survey. Qualitative input was incorporated into the educational tool. KEY RESULTS: At the end of four rounds of review via the Delphi process, participants achieved consensus on 93% of items on the clinical checklist and 85% of errors on the assessment checklist. Via the modified dichotomous Angoff method, the determined passing cut-off for competency was 6 out of 22 errors. CONCLUSION: An educational and evaluation tool for bedside I&D of skin abscesses was validated via the Delphi and Angoff methods.

Management of nonpurulent wound drainage following spinal surgery: is empiric oral antibiotic treatment appropriate?

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Postoperative incisional concerns including nonpurulent drainage are relatively common following spine surgery. Evidence-based management protocols are lacking. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine if prescribing empiric oral antibiotics for nonpurulent wound drainage is beneficial for the prevention of chronic infection or reoperation. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. PATIENT SAMPLE: Patients calling the office with postsurgical wound concerns. OUTCOME MEASURES: Not applicable. METHODS: In a large, multisurgeon, spine surgery practice, a review of the communications log showed that 298 patients called or messaged the office with a concern regarding postoperative nonpurulent wound drainage. Patients were prescribed empiric oral antibiotics based on surgeon preference. Patients who received empiric oral antibiotic treatment (AbxTx) were propensity matched to patients who did not (No AbxTx) based on sex, age, BMI, ASA grade, smoking status, prior spine surgery, anatomic location, and number of surgical levels. The number of patients requiring surgical intervention (debridement) and/or developing a chronic infection was determined. RESULTS: Oral antibiotics were prescribed for 112 of the 298 (38%) patients with reports of nonpurulent drainage. Demographic and surgical characteristics of the two matched cohorts were similar. Although there were more patients in the AbxTx group who required surgical intervention (n=17, 17%) compared to the No AbxTx group (n=9, 9%), this difference was not statistically significant (p=.139). The intra-operative culture results showed no growth in 94% (16/17) of the AbxTx group vs 67% (6/9) of the No AbxTx group (p=.103). One patient in each group required a return to the operating room within the year after the initial surgical debridement for management of chronic infection. CONCLUSION: In this large series (n=298) of patients with nonpurulent wound drainage following spine surgery, 87% resolved without the need for surgical intervention. Empiric oral antibiotics did not reduce the need for surgical intervention or the development of a chronic infection. In addition to the added cost, potential adverse reactions, development of resistant organisms, and inaccurate labeling of surgical site infection; empiric oral antibiotics may lead to a negative intraoperative culture for those requiring surgical intervention impacting the ability to prescribe a specific antibiotic regimen.

Parapharyngeal Abscess: Antibiotic-only or Open Surgical Drainage?

Objective:Many problems of parapharyngeal abscess (PPA), such as etiology, predisposing factors, and therapeutic methods, are still controversial. We aim to investigate the characteristics of PPA to better understand the therapeutic effects of the disease. Methods: We retrospectively collated the medical record reviews of 49 PPA patients who were treated as PPA inpatients when a patient was hospitalized and diagnosed with PPA, and empiric antibiotics were used. Only if the drug treatment was ineffective, the abscess was large, or the disease continued to progress, and surgical treatment was adopted. Results: In total, 49 patients who met the research criteria were identified. Streptococcus was the most common organism in PPA patients. The morbidity of diabetes in PPA patients was higher than the prevalence of diabetes in the overall population. Interestingly, the length of hospital stay was shorter in the antibiotic-only group than in the surgery group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the duration from onset to treatment in the antibiotic-only group was shorter than in the surgery group. Conclusion: Our treatment protocol is effective. Antibiotic-only method is also recommended for the PPA which was effective for the empiric antibiotics and localized. Early diagnosis and treatment of PPA could ultimately reduce the severity of PPA.

A Case of Bacterial Thyroid Abscess: A Rare Complication With Potentially Serious Consequences.

Thyroid abscess is a rare but potentially serious condition that can affect young females. It is characterized by a localized collection of pus within the thyroid gland, often resulting from a bacterial infection. The occurrence of thyroid abscesses is a rare complication even in immune-compromised individuals. Nevertheless, when they do occur, they can present with symptoms such as neck swelling, pain, fever, and other systemic manifestations. The diagnostic tool of choice for thyroid abscess is ultrasound, and the mainstay of treatment involves a combination of abscess drainage and antibiotics. In this case report, we describe the case of an 11-year-old girl who presented with neck swelling and pain and was subsequently diagnosed with thyroid abscess. The patient was successfully managed with incision and drainage, followed by a course of antibiotics.

Clinical Profile and Outcome of Head and Neck Abscesses in 68 Patients at a Tertiary Care Centre.

An abscess in head and neck region causes life threatening complications which may result in death. Because of challenging early recognition and wide range of its presenting features the present study was carried out to study in detail the clinico- demographic profile of the patients with head and neck abscesses. An observational cross sectional study was carried out on 68 cases of head and neck abscesses in a tertiary care center in Maharashtra. Out of 68 cases, 43(63.23%) were males and 25(36.77%) were females. Around 57% of the cases were in the age group of 11 to 40 years. 36(52.94%) cases had abscesses in the neck region while 32(47.06%) cases had it in the head region. Majority of the cases were of submandibular abscesses (18; 26.47%) followed by mastoid abscess (11;16.18%), Ludwig's angina (9;13.24%) and others. Most common etiology was odontogenic in origin (24; 35.29%) followed by otogenic (23; 33.82%). Pain and swelling (56; 82.35%) were the most common presenting features followed by fever (32, 47.06%) and others. 25% cases had history of diabetes mallitus. Incision and drainage was the most common mode of treatment used. Majority abscesses can be treated successfully by incision and drainage with the cover of antibiotics. Diabetic cases of abscesses can be managed successfully without any complications or prolonged hospital stay with good sugar control.

The effectiveness of needle aspiration versus traditional incision and drainage in the treatment of breast abscess: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Breast abscess is a common and intractable clinical condition and the use of needle aspiration (NA) or incision and drainage (ID) in treatment is controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to systematically compare the clinical effectiveness of NA and ID in treating breast abscesses. METHODS: The Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang Data were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from inception to January 7, 2022. The ROB-2 tool assessed risk of bias; the GRADE methodology rated certainty in outcomes; and Stata 16.0 performed data analyses. RESULTS: Nine RCTs were included, including 703 patients. The results showed there was no significant difference in cure rate between the two groups (relative risk [RR] = 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.86, 1.07]; p = .469), and after subgroup analysis, we found that it was not related to the use of ultrasound guidance or not. There was no significant difference in the recurrence rate (RR = 0.68, 95% CI [0.35, 1.30]; p = .241). Furthermore, the NA group was associated with shorter healing time (weighted mean differences = -11.02, 95% CI [-15.14, -6.90]; p < .001), lower incidence of breast fistula (RR = 0.21, 95% CI [0.06, 0.72]; p = .013), lower interrupted breastfeeding rate (RR = 0.28, 95% CI [0.20, 0.39]; p < .001), and higher satisfaction rate of appearance (RR = 1.51, 95% CI [1.03-2.21]; p = .035). CONCLUSION: NA has better advantages in terms of healing time, avoidance of breast fistula, continuous breastfeeding, and patient satisfaction. Although NA and ID have similar cure and recurrence rates, NA, with or without ultrasound guidance, could be used as a first-line treatment for breast abscesses. Patients with large volumes, multicompartmental abscesses, or those who have been ineffective against multiple NA, should be considered for ID.KEY MESSAGESBreast abscess is a common and intractable clinical condition in general surgery.Compared with ID for breast abscesses, NA has better advantages in terms of healing time, avoidance of breast fistula, continuous breastfeeding, and patient satisfaction and could be used as a first-line treatment for breast abscesses.Patients with large volumes, multicompartmental abscesses, or those who have been ineffective against multiple NA, should be considered for ID.

A comparison of the outcomes of a novel technique of Mini-Incision and Self-Express (MISE) for breast abscess with the conventional techniques: a retrospective comparative cohort study.

Conventional techniques for treatment of breast abscess, such as incision and drainage (I&D) and needle aspiration, have disadvantages. The authors aimed to compare the outcomes of a novel technique of bedside mini-incision and self-express (MISE) for breast abscess with the conventional techniques. Methods: Patients with a pathologically confirmed breast abscess were retrospectively identified. Patients with mastitis, granulomatous mastitis, breast fillers with infection, ruptured abscess prior to intervention, other interventions or bilateral breast infection were excluded. Data collected included patient demographics, radiological features such as size and number of abscess, treatment modality, microbiological results and clinical outcomes. These outcomes were then compared between the patients with MISE, I&D and needle aspiration. Results: Twenty-one patients were included. The mean age was 31.5 years old (range: 18-48). Mean abscess size was 57.4 mm (range: 24-126). 5 (23.8%), 11 (52.4%) and 5 (23.8%) had MISE, needle aspiration and I&D, respectively. Average duration of antibiotics was 1.8, 3.9 and 2.6 weeks for MISE, needle aspiration and I&D groups, respectively, which was statistically significant after adjusting for confounders (P=0.024). Mean duration of recovery was 2.8, 7.8 and 6.2 weeks for the MISE, needle aspiration and I&D groups, respectively (P=0.027), after adjusting for confounders. Conclusion: MISE, in suitable patients, results in shorter recovery time and lesser antibiotics usage, compared with the conventional techniques.

Percutaneouse ultrasound-guided needle aspiration for management of breast abscesses - a review.

Breast abscesses are still a common cause of morbidity among lactational females. Over the years, there has been an increase in the incidence of non-lactational breast abscesses and a decrease in lactational breast abscesses. The management could be the use of the conventional method of surgical incision and drainage or the newer techniques of needle aspiration or suction drain or catheter in addition to the administration of antibiotics. The use of needle aspiration as the minimal-invasive conservative technique is generally recommended for abscesses less than 3-5 cm in diameter. However, recent studies have compared the two methods for abscesses larger than 3 cm and among patients with risk factors for breast abscesses. We aim to present the clinical evidence showing the comparison between needle aspiration and incision and drainage for breast abscesses irrespective of the size of the abscesses. There is a lack of comparative information on the two treatment modalities for breast abscesses larger than 3 cm in diameter; however, needle aspiration is being tried because of its advantages like cosmetic preference, short hospital stay and healing time, and no stoppage of breastfeeding.