Abscess – symptoms, treatment and causes

Proven content

An abscess is a restricted focus of pus in a tissue space that results from a bacterial infection. The most common causes are staphylococci and streptococci. Abscesses can be located in both bones and soft tissues, and their symptoms depend on the location. Antibiotics are used to treat ailments.

Abscess – characteristics of ailments

An abscess is a type of infection characterized by the presence of an inflammation in the tissue space. Inside, there is abundant purulent content, surrounded by a purulent membrane made of connective tissue. The most common causes of abscess formation are streptococci and staphylococci, but they may be caused by a different microflora. The cells of the immune system – neutrophils and macrophages – flow into the bacterial focus in the tissues. Abscesses can attack bones and soft tissues, and their symptoms largely depend on the location – those under the skin can be seen with the naked eye, they are painful and red.

Note: An abscess is very rarely absorbed by itself. In each case, appropriate treatment is necessary, as an untreated abscess may enlarge and, at the same time, put pressure on the surrounding tissues.

Where do abscesses come from?

As mentioned above, the formation of abscesses is influenced by bacterial infections with streptococcus or staphylococcus. Which bacteria will cause an infection depends on where the abscess is located (whether it is deep tissue or body shell).

1. Abscesses located on the skin – they are caused by infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, and their most common cause is the effect of bacteria on the skin as the bacterial flora of the skin.

2. Abscesses located in deep tissues may result from:

1. spreading bacteria along with the lymph,
2. spreading bacteria through the bloodstream,
3. an injury that penetrates the underlying tissues,
4. an infection that is a complication of a genitourinary system infection,
5. the continuity of the infection grows,
6. damage to the natural intestinal barrier, which should protect against the penetration of bacteria that are the flora of the gastrointestinal tract beyond its lumen.

The types of bacteria that most commonly cause abscesses

1. staphylococcus aureus,
2. intestinal gram-negative bacilli belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family.
3. Gram-negative anaerobic bacilli – Bacteroides.
4. anaerobic cocci – Peptococcus and Peptostreptococcus,
5. Streptococcus pyogenes.

You can also check the condition of the skin using a package of laboratory tests. You can buy the package and make it at the Comprehensive Rehabilitation Center.

How are abscesses manifested?

The symptoms that indicate the presence of an abscess depend primarily on its location. When the abscess is located within the skin, local symptoms can be noticed in the form of:

1. redness,
2. painful swelling of the skin and adjacent tissues,
3. cold abscesses with tuberculosis (they need to be punctured frequently),
4. slight skin bulging,
5. fluffiness of the lesion during palpation (in the case of a mature abscess) – the skin over the abscess is very thin, tight and shiny,
6. warming the skin in the affected area of ​​the skin.

An abscess at an advanced stage of development may empty itself to the outside. Locating an abscess near deeper tissues, organs or body cavities (brain, kidneys, tonsils) may lead to lesions at a later stage or not at all. People with this ailment often complain of high fever and chills, and pain is also not rarely reported.

Abscess – diagnosis of the disease

In patients with an abscess located superficially on the skin, diagnosis is not difficult. The situation is different when the lesions are deeper, then an ultrasound examination is necessary. It allows to visualize the abscess cavity, which is surrounded by a fibrous capsule and filled with a lighter fluid with a heterogeneous structure. It happens that the ultrasound examination is not enough to make a proper diagnosis, then computed tomography is additionally performed.

Some specialists puncture an abscess for diagnostic purposes – this study is called diagnostic puncture of the abscess cavity. A culture is collected during the test.

Abscess treatment methods

Unfortunately, there is no single effective treatment for an abscess. Most often in the course of the disease it is performed surgical incision of the lesion. This method is performed by a specialist under general anesthesia, both for superficial and deeper lesions. The surgeon cuts the lesion at the very tip of the abscess bulge. If the outlet of the purulent discharge was not preceded by a diagnostic puncture, the flowing discharge should be collected for culture and marked with an antibiogram. After removing the abscess contents, the doctor palpates through the surgical incision canal to see if everything has been removed. Thanks to this, it is possible to find and empty the recesses of the abscess cavity from pus. You can arrange a consultation with a surgeon online via the halodoctor.pl portal.

Another method that helps in the spontaneous and free drainage of pus is drainage. The doctor makes incisions on the opposite sides of the abscess cavity wall. Then, special drains (e.g. made of plastic, latex) with small perforations are pulled between these cuts. Thanks to them, it is possible to further flush the abscess bed and release the resulting secretion.

Finally, setons and drains are inserted into the openings and secured with surgical sutures. This prevents them from falling into the abscess cavity. After about a day, setons should be removed, and the drains should be regularly increased as the treatment progresses.

In addition to the above-mentioned methods, in some cases antibiotic therapy is implemented, but it is usually complementary to surgery. The antibiotic is used in people who are at risk of systemic infections, for example:

1. diabetes
2. immunocompromised patients (e.g. with HIV),
3. people undergoing immunosuppressive treatment,
4. people with an abscess around the anus, perineum or face.

Also, compresses are used to dry the skin lesions.

IMPORTANT! In patients with an abscess located in the region of the limb, it is recommended to raise the limb and immobilize it. Thanks to this, the swelling of the tissues is reduced, and the pain is not so bothersome. Moreover, the lesions heal faster.

The most dangerous complication of an abscess is its spread to the surrounding tissues. As a result, tissue necrosis and sometimes even gangrene can occur.