Hi Marsha,
I had 2 perianal abcesses, in 1989 and 1990. They are caused by a bacterial infection taking hold in a small pocket of skin, and growing into an abcess. The most common "pocket" is a hair follicle, where sometimes the hair grows inward for some reason, and this forms a pocket that is moist and warm - just the sort of place for germs to breed!
In my case I first knew I had a problem when I developed flu-like symptoms that did not go away. A couple of weeks later I noticed a small lump low down on my back (where it joins my bottom) which got more and more painful. In the end i went to accident and emergency at the hospital and was admitted for surgery and I/V antibiotics.
Surgery meant scooping out the infected tissue and then packing the wound so it had to heal from the base upto the surface, to prevent any infection getting trapped. I was in hospital about 5 days, and when I came home the district nurse came every day to change the dressing. Took about 3 months to heal completely.
I feel for your little boy as the abcesses are painful and the infection makes you feel ill. Perhaps they want to avoid surgery on a small child, are they treating him with antibiotics?
I wish the little chap well.
Linda
