Image-guided percutaneous drainage: a review.

Percutaneous abscess drainage (PAD) has been proven to be a safe, effective, and widely used technique for treatment of patients with intra-abdominal fluid collections. Indications for PAD are ever expanding, and most abscesses are amenable to PAD. PAD is routinely used for treatment of simple unilocular abscesses however more complex collections require a collaborative strategy with surgical services for patient management. PAD is also used as a temporizing procedure for patients who will ultimately require operative intervention. A variety of imaging modalities are used for PAD including ultrasound and CT. Several catheter insertion techniques have proven effective. Complications from PAD are relatively uncommon.