A case of rectus sheath abscess: A late complication of inguinal hernia repair

Rectus sheath abscess is a rare condition with a high mortality and morbidity. They usually occur spontaneously, after trauma or surgery and located infraumbilically. Rectus sheath abscess is often misdiagnosed as acute abdomen or tumors of the abdomen. Correct diagnosis and treatment must carried out as soon as possible. Diagnosis is made using clinical, laboratory and radiological data. Ultrasonography and computed tomography significantly help in the correct diagnosis of rectus sheath abscesses. Incorrect diagnosis can cause unnecessary antibiotic treatments and negative laparotomies with a high rate of mortality and morbidity. A 27-year-old male patient was admitted to our polyclinic with fever and sweating for the last 3 months. There was no history of chronic disease, with the exception of surgery due to an inguinal hernia a year ago. The patient underwent abdominal computed tomography, and an abscess was detected on the rectus sheath. The abscess was drained and the patient was discharged from the hospital after the completion of the current antibiotic therapy. Here, we wanted to emphasize that rectus sheath abscess may be a late complication of inguinal hernia repair and evaluation should be done earlier with computed tomography considering surgical intervention history.