Subphrenic abscesses are localised collections of pus, usually underneath the right or left hemi- diaphragm. Other sites include the lesser sac - beneath the liver - and in the hepato-renal pouch.
They are usually the result of a break in the integrity of the peritoneum.
Subphrenic abscesses are the commonest intra-abdominal abscess. The diagnosis of a subphrenic abscess can be difficult, and hence they are often known by the famous aphorism: 'pus somewhere, pus nowhere else, pus under the diaphragm.'
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