[Pyogenic liver abscess: a retrospective patient study]

Abstract

Introduction: Pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) is a disease with changing origins as well as diagnostic and therapeutic options in the last decades.

Materials and methods: A retrospective study of the last 20 patients treated at a gastroenterological department of a university clinic for the major diagnosis of PLA was conducted. Epidemiological, clinical, microbiological and therapeutic aspects were recorded.

Results: 75 % of the patients were male. The mean age was 51.7 ± 16.6 years. Most of PLA (70 %) had a hepatobiliary origin. Diabetes mellitus (25 %) and cholangiocarcinoma (20 %) were the major risk factors for PLA. Crohn's disease was a possible cause in at least one patient. Fever (70 %) and tachycardia (50 %) were the most common symptoms. The C-reactive protein was elevated in all patients. Enterococci (> 40 %) and anaerobes (> 20 %) were the most frequent organisms in abscess cultures, Escherichia coli (25 %) was the most frequent organism in blood cultures.

Discussion: The clinical presentation of PLA is usually non-specific. Therefore especially with patients having typical risk factors the differential diagnosis of PLA should be considered. Particularly patients suffering from PLA without any pre-existing illness should be examined for an underlying disease.