Objective: To elucidate the clinical characteristics and surgical treatment of intra-abdominal abscess in patients with Crohn disease(CD).
Methods: Clinical data of 39 patients with CD complicated with intra-abdominal abscess from 2000 to 2005 were analyzed retrospectively.
Results: The cumulative incidence of intra-abdominal abscesses was 27.5%. Of the 39 CD patients with abscess, 61.5% had surgery the time of present study. The mean age of the patients with abscesses was (34.7+/- 12.3) years, and the duration of illness from the onset of CD until development of an abscess was (0-22) years,with 5 years of the average duration. In terms of location of abscess, it occurred most often on the right side (76.9%), especially near the site of anastomosis (48.7%). Most patients (34 cases, 94.4%) were treated with surgical drainage and intestinal resection.
Conclusions: Abscess formation was noted in 27.5% of patients with CD, with nearly half of abscesses occurring near the anastomotic site. The mean age of patients with abscess was 35 years, with 5 years of the duration of illness. Most abscesses were treated with operative drainage and intestinal resection.