The anatomy and molecular inventory of Staphylococcus aureus abscesses

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that infects practically every body site despite differences in nutritional environment, immune milieu, and mode of inoculation. S. aureus abscesses are pathophysiological structures wherein host-derived extracellular matrix and immune cells form layers surrounding a S. aureus colony. Staphylococcal abscess communities seed staphylococcal abscesses, which are associated with worse S. aureus infection outcomes. Abscesses are also an example of the host-S. aureus interface, wherein host and pathogen adaptations define the spatial and temporal features of pathogenesis as well as the outcomes of infection. This review discusses recent discoveries in abscess formation made across organ systems and highlights findings involving host and pathogen determinants of abscess formation that improve our understanding of S. aureus pathogenesis.