Management of pelvic abscess in a Nigerian hospital

Summary

Summary

A review of 13 years in which 112 cases of pelvic abscess were managed at University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, is presented. All the cases were treated surgically. Pregnancy related conditions were the associated factors in 91 patients (81 per cent). Sepsis after abortion alone accounted for 61 per cent of the cases. The mean age of the patients was 23·4 ± 60 (s.d.) years. Mean panty was 1·9 ±2·3. Ninety-four patients had conservative surgery involving drainage of pus and adhesiolysis at laparotomy. Eleven patients had excision of a tuho-ovarian abscess and one had hysterectomy as additional procedures. The remaining six had colpotomy. There were 10 deaths, all related to septic abortions. A pregnancy rate of 19 per cent was found during follow up. It is concluded that conservative surgery involving manual separation of adhesions and drainage of pus is a treatment of choice after sufficient pre-operative resuscitation.