title: [Peritonitis caused by rupture of a retroperitoneal abscess].
abstract: A 30 year old man presented with an initial clinical picture limited to low back pain. Increasing severity of the pain after one month led to his admission to a surgical department and the diagnosis of a large right retroperitoneal abscess. Several hours before the proposed operation for extraperitoneal surgical drainage of the abscess through a lumbar approach, his condition was complicated by the intraperitoneal rupture of the abscess. The resulting peritonitis and the retroperitoneal abscess were treated through a laparotomy and the postoperative course was uncomplicated. A literature review showed this to be only the second case of this rare generalized peritonitis complication to be reported, for which a parallel can be drawn with the intraperitoneal rupture of a pyonephrosis. A general overview of retroperitoneal abscesses is presented.
authors.affiliation: Service de Chirurgie Viscérale, Hôpital d'Instruction des Armées Desgenettes, Lyon.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pagliano
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy; D008297:Male; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000209:etiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012187:Retroperitoneal Space / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
vernacular_title: Péritonite par rupture d'abcès rétropéritonéal.