Purpose: To compare immediate percutaneous drainage of renal abscess via ultrasonographic guidance to surgical drainage.
Procedures: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of 27 patients (mean age of 59.37 +/- 12.25 years) with renal abscesses. Immediate percutaneous catheter drainage was performed in patients with pus-containing cavities greater than 3 cm who consented in the emergency section (n = 12). Other patients underwent surgical drainage (n = 11). Both groups were also treated with empirical antibiotic therapy. Four patients were treated exclusively with antibiotics and were excluded from the analysis.
Findings: Abscess size on computer tomography (CT) was similar between the percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) patients and open surgical drainage patients (7.47 +/- 1.75 cm vs. 8.67 +/- 1.87 cm; P = 0.13). There was no significant difference in mean duration of hospitalization (PCD, 19.5 +/- 10.5 days; surgical drainage, 14.55 +/- 4.52 days. P = 0.15). Larger abscess size and higher C-reactive protein levels were important prognostic factors in both groups. Microbiological analysis revealed Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in most abscesses.
Conclusions: Patients treated with percutaneous drainage for renal abscess had outcomes comparable to those treated with surgical drainage.