Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to B Akintan.
The sternum and testis are infrequent localisations for extra pulmonary tuberculosis. The initial response to a co-existing lesion, as this case depicted is, to implicate a malignant process of some sort. A high index of suspicion is needed to overcome this diagnostic riddle. Biopsy of the lesion and bacteriological work-up are essential ingredients of management.
A case of a 12 years old school girl is described. She presented nine days after the onset of acute periumbilical abdominal pain which was later accompanied three days prior to admission by purulent discharge from the umbilicus. Radiological investigation revealed a pelvic collection of pus with retroperitoneal extensions. Late presentation made the attempt to save the patient unsuccessful. A review of the literature reveals that extensive intraperitoneal and retroperitoneal extension of abscess resulting from anomaly of the urachus is extremely rare.
Perforated bowel or diseases of the retroperitoneal organs may be complicated by retroperitoneal abscess formation. Six cases of retroperitoneal abscess treated at Ife University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, over a two-year period are reported. Delayed presentation was responsible for the only death in the series and was also associated with prolonged morbidity in the remaining five cases. Early presentation and diagnosis, use of appropriate antibiotics, and prompt surgical intervention are factors that appear to influence the morbidity of the disease.