Objectives: An abscess is a localized collection of pus contained within a fibrous capsule. In this study, we aimed to determine the demographic pattern, common anatomical sites, risk factors, and the microbial profile of abscesses in different body sites among children.
Methods: We conducted a prospective study in our pediatric surgical department among children with abscesses in different body sites between January 2019 and December 2022.
Results: During the study period, 85 children were included. The participant age range was 0 to 14 years old, and 66% of participants were boys. The most common anatomical sites where abscesses formed were the pelvis (n = 29, 34%), abdomen (n = 22, 26%), neck (n = 14, 16%), and extremities (n = 12, 14%). Risk factors of abscesses in different body sites included cannulation, lymphadenitis, mastitis, perforated appendix, and perianal fistula. We observed that 74% of abscesses were of a polymicrobial nature.
Conclusion: The most common anatomical sites for abscesses in children included the pelvis, abdomen, neck, and extremities. Most abscesses in these sites were polymicrobial in nature.
Keywords: Abscess; aerobic; anaerobic; children; polymicrobial; prospective study; risk factor.