J Korean Radiol Soc.
1983 Mar;19(1):107-115. 10.3348/jkrs.1983.19.1.107.
Clinical and radiological evaluation of subphrenic abscess
- KMID: 2463210
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jkrs.1983.19.1.107
Abstract
- Most subphrenic abscesses represent complication of the intraabdominal surgery. Supression of the infection bywide use of antibiotics may protract the course and obscure the clinical findings. Therefore, the radiologistplays a paramount role in early diagnosis, espicially analysis of conventional radiography of fluoroscopy, simplechest and abdomen in the initial detection of subphrenic abscess, is very useful. Twenty-one patients of theclinically and surgically proven subphrenic abscess at Chosum University Hospital in the period from Jan. 1976 toJune 1982 were analyzed clnically and radiologically. The resuls were as follows; 1. Male to female ratio was 6:1in 21 patients. Incidence was most comon in the third to sixth decade of life. 2. The clinical presentation isoften nonspecific and more generalized rather than fulminant and localized because of masking effect ofantibiotics. 3. In 81% of subphrenic abscesses are occured as a postoperative complications and most common causewas gastroduodenal operation. 4. Of the 21 patients, subphrenic abscess was located on the left subphrenic spacein 10 (48%), on the right in 8(38%), and was bilateral in 3(14%). 5. The most common Roentgenological findingswere elevation of affected side hemidiaphragm and pelural effusion, or decreased diaphragmatic movement duringfluoroscopy. Others include in order of frequency: Subphrenic air-fluid level, basal atelectasis, displacedadjacent organs, and basal infiltration.
