Introduction: Splenic abscesses are a rare medical entity with high mortality, with Clostridium perfringens being an exceptional pathogen. We present the first case describing an abscess of the spleen in… Click to show full abstract
Introduction: Splenic abscesses are a rare medical entity with high mortality, with Clostridium perfringens being an exceptional pathogen. We present the first case describing an abscess of the spleen in a patient undergoing treatment with adalimumab, an anti-tumour necrosis factor commonly used in inflammatory bowel diseases.Patient: We describe the case of a 73-year-old woman, treated with adalimumab therapy, who was found to have a splenic abscess, caused by C. perfringens.Result: After antibiotic treatment and percutaneous drainage, the patient recovered both clinically and radiographically.Discussion: We reviewed literature about C. perfringens splenic abscesses. In all cases identified, a splenectomy was performed. This is the first case description of splenic abscess caused by C. perfringens where a percutaneous drainage was performed, leading to complete recovery in our patient. This seems to indicate that a splenectomy is not necessary in all C. perfringens splenic abscesses.
               
Click one of the above tabs to view related content.