Abscess in the groin - causes and treatment options

introduction

A cavity is generally referred to as an abscess, which is located in or below the skin level and bulges outwards in a clearly visible manner. The cavity is sharply delimited and closed. Inside there is inflammatory fluid and pus. Abscesses always arise when bacteria penetrate certain skin or soft tissue areas and cannot be eliminated immediately by the defense cells (scavenger cells). Abscesses in the groin area are relatively common. It is also noticeable that abscesses occur mainly on parts of the body that are exposed to increased friction. As a rule, this small abscess will resolve itself again, which would then also be more of a boil. Larger abscesses have to be opened with a small operation and the pus removed.

How does an abscess develop?

A cavity is generally referred to as an abscess, which is located in or below the skin level and bulges outwards in a clearly visible manner. The cavity is sharply delimited and closed. Inside is inflammatory fluid and pus. Abscesses always arise when bacteria penetrate certain skin or soft tissue areas and cannot be eliminated immediately by the defense cells (scavenger cells). With the formation of an abscess cavity, the body tries to prevent the pathogens from spreading in the body until it is completely eliminated. You are, so to speak, trapped in the abscess cavity and cannot cause any further harm. In this cavity, the body can then calmly activate its immune cells in order to eliminate the bacteria. As a product, pus develops in and during the destruction process. The pus collects in the cavity and inflates it. The person concerned then notices a corresponding swelling in this area. They can also The edges of the wound are inflamed and reddened be.

Some Abscesses are painless and are only noticeable by the rough swelling. Most abscesses, on the other hand, are also tender on tender and, depending on where they are, they also restrict movement and are more painful when moving. Abscesses that occur in the groin can also cause pain and uncomfortable feelings while walking or sitting, as abscess cavities can not only be superficial, but can also extend deeper.
The groin area is an area of ​​the body that is always subject to friction due to the constant running movement. Most likely bacteria (mostly staphylococci) enter the skin level somewhere in the groin area and cause an infection, which in the further course of the body then forms an abscess cavity for defense.

Abscesses can lead to harmless complications, but there can also be urgent antibiotic or surgical treatment needs. In the best case, after the bacteria have reached the skin level, there is not a large but rather a smaller boil, which apart from a small swelling does not cause any discomfort. As a rule, this small abscess will clear itself again. Here it would be more of one boil to speak.
In the other case, there is a larger, painful swelling of the boil, a reddening and this leads to annoying pain during movement, while sitting and standing.

Causes of an abscess in the groin

Abscesses are caused by bacteria. In most cases, staphylococci enter the body through the skin barrier and are then attacked by immune cells. If the bacterial load is too high, the body forms a protective cavity around the intruders to prevent further spread. During the decomposition process, pus develops, which then increasingly fills the cavity and forms a swollen abscess cavity.
Staphylococci, which are on the skin, are always deposited on hair cells. This often also represents the point of entry. If hairs grow into the skin, for example, the bacteria lead to inflammation and thus penetrate the body.
Untreated wounds can also be a port of entry through which bacteria can enter the body and form an abscess if the immune system is weak. Such wounds can also be caused by constant friction, e.g. caused by overly tight clothes or overhanging skin folds in the case of severe overweight.

Read more on the subject at: Inflammation of the sebum - this must be observed!

Symptoms and diagnosis

Smaller abscesses usually form by itself back when the body has killed the invading bacteria. Complications are very rare with a normal immune system.

In the case of complicated processes, the body can also use General symptoms respond to an abscess forming. To be mentioned Chills, fever, and feeling very sick. Urgent treatment is necessary here at the latest.
Another danger of an abscess poses the fistula This is understood to mean one formed by an abscess Corridor that goes deep into the body and through which the bacteria can get inside the body and cause further damage there. In most cases of fistula formation surgically treated because the body and the immune system are no longer able to counteract the germs.

An abscess under treatment can add up to 2-3 weeks After surgical treatment, symptoms will soon improve shortly after clearance.

The diagnosis is usually made by the Look of the doctor posed. If in doubt, the abscess can be caused by a Ultrasound examination to be determined. If the abscess is opened to allow the pus to drain, it usually becomes a smear taken to determine the bacteria and their response to antibiotics.

Treatment of the abscess in the groin

Smaller abscesses don't need treatment and resolve within a few days.
In the case of larger or long-lasting abscesses, which may also be reddish and painful, medical or surgical measures should be taken to bring about rapid healing. Medicinally, one would first apply a pulling ointment to the swollen area (only in the case of non-inflamed abscesses and without general symptoms).

Inflamed abscesses would be treated with antibiotics if they were even smaller. Here, preparations such as amoxicillin for 5-10 days or cefuroxime for 7 days would be used.

In the case of larger abscesses with a large pus cavity, surgical cleavage should be carried out, possibly in combination with antibiotic treatment.

In this context, it is also important to check the vaccination status. Here, special attention should be paid to the presence of tetanus. If this is not the case, the vaccination should be refreshed, as these tetanus bacteria can enter the wound through dirt and soil.

Read more on this topic at: Treatment of an abscess

Which doctor does abscess treatments?

In principle, abscess treatment can be carried out by a general practitioner (Family doctor) carry out. He supplies the abscess area with medication and also performs incision treatments.
Larger divisions and operative clearing out usually results in the General surgeon by.

Treatment with pull ointment

This tar-based paste (e.g. Ichtholan®) with regular use will pull the pus out of the abscess cavity, leading to an early Decongestion the abscess height will result. It is important that this measure is taken in the case of inflamed abscesses or extremely painful abscesses or also in the case of abscesses with accompanying symptoms such as fever, chills and deterioration in general condition not applied becomes.

More information can be found here: Pull ointment

Surgery for an abscess of the groin

Surgical treatment should be performed for larger abscesses. The operative measure can only be a Puncturing the abscess cavity from the outside and Catch the pus that emerges mean, but also a major operational clearance measure.
In order to prevent the risk of replication, it may be necessary, especially with larger abscess cavities, to remove the pus including the To excavate the abscess cavity with a scalpel. Sometimes a local anesthetic is enough. In the case of large abscesses, but especially if there is a fistula duct, it is sometimes necessary to operate with general anesthesia.
The operation is always accompanied by one antibiotic drug to avoid the corresponding inflammation after the operation. Before a major surgery to clear an abscess is performed, a Ultrasonic figured out the exact spread of the abscess cavity. It can also be shown here whether the abscess is also deeply spreading through a fistula. In poor visibility it may also be necessary to CT of the area of ​​the bar.

Chances of recovery from an abscess

Smaller abscesses heal spontaneously and without further treatment.
Larger ones, which are treated with a pulling ointment without surgical measures, should heal within approx. 1-2 weeks.
Abscesses that require antibiotic treatment (mostly larger abscesses with reddish skin areas) should be healed after 3-5 days and their findings should have improved significantly. Punctured (incised) abscesses disappeared immediately, as the pus has emerged as a result of the measure, leaving only a flaccid abscess cavity that cannot be felt.

In some cases, however, a replica of pus occurs again, which can lead to a renewed formation of a pus cavity. After major surgical clearance measures, a regular wound check with a change of dressing is usually connected and at the same time treated with antibiotics to prevent the abscess from recurring. Here, the treatment including follow-up checks can take up to 14 days. After that, all abscesses should be healed.

If abscesses recur regularly in the groin area and in other areas of the body, the exact cause should be checked. Systemic diseases such as immunodeficiency diseases can be to blame for this repeated occurrence of the abscesses.

Inguinal abscesses in pregnancy

Groin abscesses in pregnancy also sometimes occur and suggest one high germ load the skin. Staphylococci then entered the body through rubbing in the groin area and activated the immune system. Scavenger cells and other white blood cells immediately start attacking the pathogen and form a protective abscess cavity. In principle, abscesses can be treated during pregnancy in the same way as in non-pregnant women. First, an ointment can be applied locally; success should come a few days later. During pregnancy, antibiotics should be used very sparingly on the one hand, but on the other hand they should not be waited too long if it is necessary to avoid systemic spread in the body and thus protect the health of the child and mother.
With strong Swelling, redness and accompanying general symptoms should definitely be with one antibiotic treatment to be started. The tried and tested cefuroxime should be used in pregnant women. Can also be a Incision Treatment performed and the pus drained from the abscess cavity.

Larger abscesses should urgently operationally cleared because the spread of germs in the mother's body can endanger the child. Timely clearance is very important here. An ultrasound should be performed beforehand, which can show how far the abscess continues in depth and whether a fistula duct has already formed.

You can also find more information here: Infections in pregnancy