Periclitoral abscess

Periclitoral Abscess: A Recurrent Problem

BACKGROUND

Periclitoral abscesses are rare and lack a defined management strategy due to the limited number of cases available for review. Regardless of the initial management, recurrence remains common.

CASE

A 17-year-old presented with clitoral pain and swelling consistent with periclitoral abscess. Conservative treatment with antibiotics failed, and underwent 2 incision and drainage procedures prior to resolution of the abscess.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

Spontaneous periclitoral abscess is rare, and the optimal treatment strategy has not been defined, with a high rate of recurrence being noted regardless of either conservative management with antibiotics or incision and drainage as initial treatment. In many cases of recurrent periclitoral abscess, hair was removed from the abscess cavity, suggesting that retained foreign material in the abscess cavity could be the nidus for recurrence.

Gynecologic rarities: a case of periclitoral abscess and review of the literature

Periclitoral abscess is a rare entity, with publications limited to case reports. We present here a case of periclitoral abscess in a 17 year old patient, which was treated with incision and drainage. We also review all the similar cases that have been reported in the English literature until now.