The Role of Interventional Radiology in the Management of Bacterial Abdominal Abscesses: Investigating the Correlation Between Imaging Findings and Antibiotic Resistance Patterns

Bacterial abdominal abscesses are a significant cause of morbidity and prolonged hospitalization, particularly when caused by multidrug-resistant organisms. Interventional radiology has become a cornerstone in the diagnosis and treatment of these infections by enabling image-guided percutaneous drainage, precise aspiration for microbiological analysis, and minimally invasive source control. However, the relationship between radiological characteristics of abscesses and the underlying antibiotic resistance profile of the causative pathogens remains insufficiently explored. This study aims to investigate whether specific imaging findings, including abscess size, wall thickness, septation, loculation, internal gas, and surrounding inflammatory changes, are associated with resistance patterns such as extended-spectrum beta-lactamase production or multidrug resistance. In a retrospective or prospective cohort of patients undergoing ultrasound- or CT-guided drainage, imaging features were systematically recorded and correlated with culture and susceptibility results obtained from drained fluid samples. Preliminary evidence suggests that more complex abscess morphology may be linked to resistant bacterial strains and poorer clinical response to first-line empirical therapy. These findings support the dual role of interventional radiology as both a therapeutic and diagnostic modality, and they may help clinicians tailor early antimicrobial management before final microbiological confirmation is available. Ultimately, integrating imaging biomarkers with microbiological data may improve treatment selection, reduce complications, and shorten hospital stay.

کلیدواژه ها:

Interventional radiology ، abdominal abscess ، antibiotic resistance ، percutaneous drainage ، imaging findings