Surgical Management of a Splenic Abscess: Case Report, Management, and Review of Literature

Abstract

Splenic abscess is a rare infection that may develop from a multitude of causes. There are several different microorganisms implicated in pathological formation including Staphylococci, Streptococci, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli. Antibiotics are the first line of therapy in treatment with eventual surgical intervention. It is imperative to have surgical intervention performed due to increased rates in mortality with only medical management. However, specific treatment guidelines in the management of splenic abscess have been unclear due to the low number of documented cases. We report the case of a splenic abscess in thirty-year-old female two months following an appendectomy. The goal of this case report is to help provide additional context into management and treatment options for splenic abscess using literature review.

Conservative Management of a Rare Contiguously Spread Splenic Abscess

“…Splenectomies have traditionally been considered the gold standard of treatment [ 6 ]. However, the recent advancement of image-guided percutaneous catheter drainage has facilitated a less invasive procedural approach.…”

Primary Splenic Abscess: A Case Report

“…If left untreated, the mortality may extend upto 100% [1,5]. In most of the instances, it is secondary to haematogenous spread of infection from any primary source of infection or associated with bacteraemia [6,7].…”

A Splenic Abscess in a Trauma Setting: A Case Report and Comprehensive Literature Review

“…Patients who have undergone percutaneous drainage may avoid surgery [ 6 ]. Treatment options include broad-spectrum antibiotics and percutaneous drainage [ 7 ]. In one-third of cases, splenectomy and laparotomy are necessary, especially in trauma settings [ 6 ].…”