What Is a Retroperitoneal Abscess

Retroperitoneal abscess is an unusual type of abscess in surgical practice. It is often underdiagnosed due to the insidious onset of symptoms and its location in the retroperitoneal space making it hard to be assessed via the regular abdominal examination.

What causes a retroperitoneal abscess?

Retroperitoneal abscess may result from a variety of causes, such as pyelonephritis, pancreatitis, retroperitoneal appendicitis, diverticulitis, peptic ulcer disease, perforated cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, spinal infection, trauma, and postinstrumentation.

What does retroperitoneal mean in medical terms?

(REH-troh-PAYR-ih-toh-NEE-um) The area in the back of the abdomen behind the peritoneum (the tissue that lines the abdominal wall and covers most of the organs in the abdomen).