abscess

abscess
—abscessed, adj.
/ab"ses/, n. Pathol.
a localized collection of pus in the tissues of the body, often accompanied by swelling and inflammation and frequently caused by bacteria.
[1535-45; < L abscessus a going away, abscess, equiv. to absced-, var. s. of abscedere to go away, separate off, form an abscess (abs- ABS- + cedere; see CEDE) + -tus suffix of v. action, with -dt- > -ss-]

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Localized collection of pus in a cavity in the deeper layers of the skin or within the body, formed from tissues broken down by white blood cells (leukocytes) in response to inflammation caused by bacteria.

A wall develops, separating the thick yellowish pus from the extracellular fluid of nearby healthy tissues. Rupture of the abscess allows the pus to escape and relieves swelling and pain. Treatment consists of cutting into the wall to drain the pus and giving antibiotics. If infective contents enter the bloodstream, they may be carried to remote tissues, seeding new abscesses.

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      a localized collection of pus in a cavity formed from tissues that have been broken down by infectious bacteria. An abscess is caused when such bacteria as staphylococci or streptococci gain access to solid tissue (e.g., by means of a small wound on the skin). The toxins released by these multiplying bacteria destroy cells and thus trigger an acute inflammation at the site, with its characteristic signs of redness, pain, swelling, and heat. (See inflammation.) White blood cells (leukocytes (leukocyte)) collect at the site; these leukocytes break down the dead tissues and absorb the bacteria by means of phagocytosis. Thick yellowish pus is formed from the broken-down tissues, the dead bacteria and leukocytes, and the extracellular fluid that has accumulated. At the same time, nearby healthy cells form a capsule of tissue around the pus and develop a cell wall that delimits the abscess from nearby healthy tissues. When the abscess is ruptured, either naturally or through medical intervention, the pus escapes, the swelling and pain are relieved, and the delimiting cell wall eventually grows back into the abscess cavity.

      Abscesses may occur on the skin surface or within the body on such internal organs as the lungs, brain, kidneys, or tonsils. Treatment for those abscesses that do not naturally resolve themselves consists of cutting into the capsule and draining its pus contents. Antibiotics are also administered to help fight the infection. Antihistamines may be prescribed to reduce swelling. Care must be taken to prevent the pus and other infective contents from entering the bloodstream and thus being carried to surrounding tissues, where they can result in new abscesses. See also boil.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Abscess — Ab scess, n.; pl. {Abscesses}. [L. abscessus a going away, gathering of humors, abscess, fr. abscessus, p. p. of absedere to go away; ab, abs + cedere to go off, retire. See {Cede}.] (Med.) A collection of pus or purulent matter in any tissue or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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  • abscess — abscess, boil, furuncle, carbuncle, pimple, pustule all denote a localized swollen area of infection containing pus. Abscess is the most general term, applying to a collection of pus surrounded by inflammation whether in the skin or in the… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • abscess — (n.) 1610s, from L. abscessus an abscess (Celsus), lit. a going away, from stem of abscedere withdraw, from ab away (see AB (Cf. ab )) + cedere to go (see CEDE (Cf. cede)). The notion is that humors go from the body through the pus in t …   Etymology dictionary

  • abscess — [ab′ses΄] n. [L abscessus < abscedere, to go from < ab(s) , from + cedere, to go: from the notion that humors go from the body into the swelling] a swollen, inflamed area in body tissues, in which pus gathers vi. to form an abscess… …   English World dictionary

  • abscess — [n] swelling boil, carbuncle, pustule, ulcer; concepts 306,309 …   New thesaurus

  • abscess — ► NOUN ▪ a swollen area within body tissue, containing pus. ORIGIN Latin abscessus, from abscedere go away …   English terms dictionary

  • Abscess — This article is about the medical condition. For the death metal band, see Abscess (band). Abscess Classification and external resources Abscess ICD 10 L02 …   Wikipedia

  • Abscess — A local accumulation of pus anywhere in the body. The following are some examples of abscesses: {{}}A skin abscess is better known as a common boil; A peritonsillar abscess is a persistent collection of pus behind the tonsils; and A perianal… …   Medical dictionary

  • abscess — noun VERB + ABSCESS ▪ have ▪ develop, get ▪ I developed an abscess on my neck. ▪ cause ▪ drain …   Collocations dictionary

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