title: US-guided transvaginal drainage of pelvic abscesses and fluid collections.
abstract: Ultrasound (US)-guided transvaginal needle or catheter drainage was performed in 14 women for a variety of pelvic abscesses and fluid collections; tubo-ovarian abscesses and postoperative collections were most common. Diagnosis was achieved in all 14 patients (100%), including one patient with suspected ovarian carcinoma who underwent only diagnostic needle aspiration and no therapeutic drainage. Abscesses or fluid collections were evacuated in 13 of 13 patients (100%) with either needle (n = 7) or catheter (n = 6) drainage (with appropriate antibiotics). Twelve of the 14 patients (86%) were spared an operation; surgery was undertaken in two patients for a persistent tubo-ovarian phlegmon. No major complications were associated with drainage. Catheters were removed an average of 6.7 days after insertion. The success, safety, and advantages of US-guided transvaginal drainage in our early experience suggest its use as an alternative to standard percutaneous catheter procedures to diagnose and drain certain pelvic abscesses and fluid collections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego 92103.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: vanSonnenberg
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: D'Agostino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Casola
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Goodacre
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D005184:Fallopian Tube Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010049:Ovarian Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D010388:Pelvis; D014463:Ultrasonography