Radiological catheter drainage of abscesses in children

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the efficacy and safety of radiological catheter drainage of fluid collections and abscesses in children, and to review the principles, indications, technique, and possible complications of these procedures. Material and Methods: A retrospective analysis was made of all radiologically guided catheter placements performed between March 1999 and April 2003. Patients' age, sex, location of the collection, technical details of the procedure, including modality used for guidance, technique of placement, type of catheter used, catheter indwelling time, and time for temporization were recorded from chart reviews. Success rate was calculated based on the number of curative drainage procedures. Results: 33 children (16 boys and 17 girls) aged between 7 days and 14 years of age (mean 7 years) underwent 37 procedures. Successful drainage was achieved in 31 of 33 patients (94%). The dwell time for catheters ranged between 1 day and 30 days (mean 5.7 days). Mean duration for defervescence was 2 days. There were no major complications. Conclusion: Imaging-guided catheter drainage of fluid collections in children is safe and effective. Newer approaches, better imaging, and improved techniques have resulted in improved cure rates. The basic principles, common indications, various techniques, and the possible complications of these procedures, with special reference to the pediatric population, are reviewed in this article.