title: Computed tomography of silent abdominal abscesses.
abstract: Computed tomographic (CT) findings are reviewed in nine patients with clinically unsuspected abdominal abscesses. None of the patients in this series had significant fever or leukocytosis. Localized pain or a palpable mass was the primary clinical feature in seven patients. Computed tomography demonstrated encapsulated fluid collections without gas in five patients representing chronic abscess. Computed tomography was diagnostic of an abscess in three patients and guided aspiration was helpful in demonstrating an abscess in two other patients. The inability to make a correct preoperative diagnosis of an abscess in four of the nine cases was due to a low level of clinical suspicion, a nonspecific CT appearance, and failure to perform diagnostic aspiration.
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000473:pathology; D000038:Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed