Weird and Wild: Scalp Abscesses and Kerions

​Welcome back to the weird and wild, "what do I do with that?" series! We want to take you back to the magical land of abscesses. This scalp abscess case study and Procedural Pause pearl will help you relieve significant pain and decrease the risk for skin infections and complications. This case made it to our weird and wild list for being rare and interesting.​Scalp abscesses and kerions can be tricky and complicated. At first glance, they can appear small and harmless. They are often underappreciated for this reason, but require immediate attention. There are several types of wound infections and rashes that occur on the scalp, including tinea capitus. Regardless of the underlying process or irritation, scalp abscesses must be drained and deloculated. Incision and drainage remains "an essential part of the treatment of bacterial abscesses," but "scalp abscesses are extremely rare unless there is immune deficiency or penetrating trauma and are usually associated with severe pain and constitutional upset," according to Nandwani, et al. (J Infect 1995;31[1]:79.)​The scalp leaves very little room for swelling. When an abscess forms, it may cause significant pain and a lengthy abscess. These abscesses can form pockets across the scalp with varying levels of size, shape, and capsule size.Posterior scalp laceration in a 29-year-old man with underlying seborrhea. The abscess has spread lengthwise and has caused mild hair loss to the area. Pho...
Source: The Procedural Pause - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs