Claudia Christman-Skieller1, Lisa K McIntyre, Rebecca Plevin, Jeffrey B Friedrich, Douglas G Smith. 1. 1Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine (C.C.-S. and D.G.S.), Division of Trauma, Burns, and Surgical Critical Care (L.K.M.), and Division of Plastic Surgery (J.B.F.), Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington2Department of Surgery, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
Abstract
CASE: We present the case of a subscapular abscess that was drained via a posterolateral approach to the scapula. Complete evacuation of the abscess was achieved, and the incisions healed without difficulty. There were no immediate postoperative complications from this approach. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, a posterolateral approach for evacuating a subscapular abscess has not been described previously in the literature. Utilizing the internervous plane between the teres major and latissimus dorsi muscles, along with medial counterincisions, allows for safe drainage of this rare type of abscess.
CASE: We present the case of a subscapular abscess that was drained via a posterolateral approach to the scapula. Complete evacuation of the abscess was achieved, and the incisions healed without difficulty. There were no immediate postoperative complications from this approach. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, a posterolateral approach for evacuating a subscapular abscess has not been described previously in the literature. Utilizing the internervous plane between the teres major and latissimus dorsi muscles, along with medial counterincisions, allows for safe drainage of this rare type of abscess.