EUS-guided drainage of postsurgical pelvic abscesses using lumen-apposing metal stents

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage of pelvic abscess: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

As an emerging minimally invasive technology, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has been reported to treat pelvic abscess instead of surgical or image-guided percutaneous drainage (PCD) under certain conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of EUS-guided drainage for patients with pelvic abscesses.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive literature search on PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases (inception-March 2022). The main outcomes were technical success, clinical success, and complications. Comprehensive meta-analysis software was used to calculate the pooled event rate.

RESULTS

Twelve studies containing 272 patients were included. These pelvic abscesses most frequently developed after abdominal and pelvic surgery (n = 180, 66.2%), inflammatory bowel disease (n = 32, 11.8%), and other inflammatory conditions. Respectively, the pooled technical and clinical success rate was 100% and 88.7% [95% confidence interval (CI): 83.8-92.2%, I² = 1.0%, p < 0.001]. After excluding an individual study, the pooled rate of complications changed from 11.5% (95% CI: 7.4-17.4%, I² = 38.8%, p < 0.001) to 8.2% (95% CI: 5.0-13.3%, I² = 0, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

EUS-guided drainage of the pelvic abscess was feasible, effective, and safe. Further randomized-controlled studies with large-sample sizes were required in the future.

Perivesicular Abscess Drainage with Lumen-Apposing Self-Expanding Metal Stents

Abdominal and pelvic abscesses can occur due to a number of reasons, the most common being surgery. They are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The treatment approach for these types of collections is often the initiation of broad-spectrum antibiotics, accompanied by drainage. Multiple diagnostic and therapeutic modalities have been described, including; percutaneous, transvaginal, endoscopic, and surgicaldrainage. Due to the complexity of pelvic anatomy, minimally invasive approaches such as percutaneous drainage are usually difficult. Pelvic abscesses have been historically drained through surgery. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided interventions have emerged as an alternative for the management of difficult abdominal and pelvic abscesses. Endoscopic interventions have classically included diagnostic and therapeutic aspiration, utilizing drainage catheters with or without placement of plastic stents. More recently, the use of lumen apposing self-expanding metal stents has become a treatment option for deep pelvic abscesses. Lumen opposing metal stents (LAMS) have a saddle-shaped design with two large-diameter flanges on both ends of the stent to anchor the stent edges within the respective lumens as well asa central waist that allows for communication between the two lumens. LAMS were originally designed for transmural pancreatic fluid collection drainage; however,they have been successfully implemented for numerous other off-label uses, including the drainage of pelvic and abdominal abscesses. We present the case of a 34-year-old womanwho presented with a septated abscess located between the urinary bladder and the rectum, which was successfully and definitively drained with LAMS.