Percutaneous catheter aspiration and drainage of suspected mediastinal abscesses.
The authors describe CT-guided percutaneous aspiration of 13 apparent mediastinal abscesses in 12 extremely ill patients, excluding the diagnosis in 3 and establishing it in 9. Six patients subsequently underwent percutaneous catheter drainage, facilitating elective surgery in 1 and proving curative in 5.
D000038:Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008477:Mediastinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011677:Punctures; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D013396:Suction / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed