Pyogenic liver abscess overview

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1];Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Yamuna Kondapally, M.B.B.S[2]

Overview

Pyogeinic liver abscess is caused by the local inflammatory reaction caused by bacteria in hepatic parenchyma leading to the development of intrahepatic pus collection.[1][2]They account for 80% of liver abscesses in developed world.[3]

Historical Perspective

Hippocrates described pyogenic liver abscess based on the type of fluid recovered from abscess. In 1938, Ocshner and colleagues reported that the major causal factors leading to hepatic abscess were appendicitis and amoebiasis.[4]

Classification

Pyogenic liver abscess may be classified according to international classification of diseases-10 (ICD-10) into K75.0.[5].

Pathophysiology

Development of pyogenic liver abscess is the result of infection through the following routes like portal vein (also from pylephlebitis of portal vein), hepatic arteries as metastatic abscesses, direct spread from nearby infection, trauma and retroperitoneal extension from appendix.[6][4][7][8]Ascending biliary infection is the most common source of pyogenic liver abscess.

Causes

Common causes of pyogenic liver abscess include hepatobiliary, portal, arterial, traumatic and cryptogenic causes.

Differential Diagnosis

Pyogenic liver abscess must be differentiated from other diseases with similar presentation such as amoebic liver abscess, fungal liver abscess, echinococcal (hydatid) cyst and malignancy (hepatocelluar carcinoma or metastasis).[9][10][11][12]

Risk Factors

Common risk factors in the development of pyogenic liver abscess are immunodeficiency, diabetes mellitus, pancreatic or hepatobiliary disease and liver transplant.[4][13][14][15]

Screening

According to the U.S. Preventive Service Task Force (USPSTF), there is insufficient evidence to recommend routine screening for pyogenic liver abscess.

Natural History, Complications and Prognosis

If left untreated, pyogenic liver abscess may progress to peritonitis or pleuritis secondary to rupture of the abscess into peritoneal or pleural cavities and sepsis.[16][17][18]Complications of pyogenic liver abscess include septicemia, intraabdominal abscess, hepatic failure, renal failure, recurrent liver abscess and free peritonitis.[19]The prognosis of liver abscess depends on underlying risk factors such as advanced age, malignancy, jaundice, multiple abscesses, heamoglobin <10g/dl and elevated blood urea nitrogen.[4]

Diagnosis

History and Symptoms

Symptoms of pyogenic liver abscess include abdominal pain, right lower chest pain, fever, chills, night sweats, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, right shoulder pain, weight loss, diarrhea, dyspnea and yellowish discoloration of skin (jaundice).[5][20]

Physical Examination

Common physical examination findings associated with pyogenic liver abscess include high grade fever, yellowish discoloration of skin (jaundice), icteric sclera, reduced breath sounds or crepitations at the base of lung, hepatomegaly with point tenderness, and abdominal guarding or rebound tenderness on palpation, dullness on percussion, and absent bowel sounds.[21]

Laboratory Findings

Laboratory tests consistent with diagnosis of pyogenic liver abscess include complete blood picture, ESR, C-reactive protein, liver function tests, pus culture, and blood culture.[7]

ECG

There are no ECG findings associated with pyogenic liver abscess.

Chest X Ray

Chest X ray findings include atelectasis, pulmonary infiltrates, pleural effusion, elevated right hemidiaphragm, and gas within the abscess or biliary tree or beneath the diaphragm.[5]

CT Scan

CT scan findings of pyogenic liver abscess include peripherally enhancing and centrally hypo attenuating lesions, solid or gas in the lesions (gas in the form of bubbles or air fluid levels), segmental, wedge-shaped or circumferential perfusion abnormalities, early enhancement may be seen on contrast enhanced CT scans, the double target sign and cluster sign.[22][23][24][25]

MRI

MRI findings of pyogenic liver abscess include hypointense and heterogenous centrally on T1, hyperintense signal on T2, enhancement of the capsule and multiple septations on T1+C, high signal within the abscess cavity on DWI, and low signal within the abscess on ACD.[26][5][27]

Ultrasound

The ultrasound findings include round or oval shape, hypoechoic appearance with fine and homogeneous echoes, gas bubbles within the abscess, and absence of central perfusion on color doppler.[28][29][30]

Other Imaging Studies

Other diagnostic studies include radionucleide scans which use technetium, indium, or gallium. They detect lesions <2 cm in size. These scans cannot distinguish between the cyst, tumor, or abscess and need confirmation with other diagnostic tests.[31]

Treatment

Medical Therapy

Treatment of pyogenic liver abscess include non-surgical treatment and open surgical drainage. Non-surgical treatment treatment includes conservative management with antibiotics alone and percutaneous drainage.[19]

Surgical Therapy

The maninstay of treatment of pyogenic liver abscess is percutaneous darinage of abscess. Other methods used are open surgical drainage and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP).[32][33][2][34][8]

Primary Prevention

The risk of developing pyogenic liver abscess can be reduced by prompt treatment of abdominal and other infections.[5]

Secondary Prevention

Secondary prevention strategies following pyogenic liver abscess include long term monitoring which helps in preventing the complications and recurrence , monitoring the abscess cavity weekly for adequate drainage using CT or USG, persistent fever more than 2 weeks of therapy is an indication for more aggressive drainage, prolonged antibiotic therapy after discharge of patient is recommended and presence of underlying liver disease is the predisposing factor for the recurrence of pyogenic liver disease.[35]

References

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  2. 2.0 2.1 Yu SC, Ho SS, Lau WY, Yeung DT, Yuen EH, Lee PS; et al. (2004). "Treatment of pyogenic liver abscess: prospective randomized comparison of catheter drainage and needle aspiration". Hepatology. 39 (4): 932–8. doi:10.1002/hep.20133. PMID 15057896.
  3. Krige JE, Beckingham IJ (2001). "ABC of diseases of liver, pancreas, and biliary system". BMJ. 322 (7285): 537–40. PMC 1119738. PMID 11230072.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Huang CJ, Pitt HA, Lipsett PA, Osterman FA, Lillemoe KD, Cameron JL; et al. (1996). "Pyogenic hepatic abscess. Changing trends over 42 years". Ann Surg. 223 (5): 600–7, discussion 607-9. PMC 1235191. PMID 8651751.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 http://www.icd10data.com/ICD10CM/Codes/K00-K95/K70-K77/K75-/K75.0 Accessed on February 22, 2017
  6. Munro JC (1905). "VII. Lymphatic and Hepatic Infections Secondary to Appendicitis". Ann Surg. 42 (5): 692–734. PMC 1425980. PMID 17861705.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Rahimian J, Wilson T, Oram V, Holzman RS (2004). "Pyogenic liver abscess: recent trends in etiology and mortality". Clin Infect Dis. 39 (11): 1654–9. doi:10.1086/425616. PMID 15578367.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Lam YH, Wong SK, Lee DW, Lau JY, Chan AC, Yiu RY; et al. (1999). "ERCP and pyogenic liver abscess". Gastrointest Endosc. 50 (3): 340–4. doi:10.1053/ge.1999.v50.98065. PMID 10462653.
  9. Lodhi S, Sarwari AR, Muzammil M, Salam A, Smego RA (2004). "Features distinguishing amoebic from pyogenic liver abscess: a review of 577 adult cases". Trop Med Int Health. 9 (6): 718–23. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3156.2004.01246.x. PMID 15189463.
  10. Barbour GL, Juniper K (1972). "A clinical comparison of amebic and pyogenic abscess of the liver in sixty-six patients". Am J Med. 53 (3): 323–34. PMID 5054724.
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  15. Thomsen RW, Jepsen P, Sørensen HT (2007). "Diabetes mellitus and pyogenic liver abscess: risk and prognosis". Clin Infect Dis. 44 (9): 1194–201. doi:10.1086/513201. PMID 17407038.
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  19. 19.0 19.1 Malik AA, Bari SU, Rouf KA, Wani KA (2010). "Pyogenic liver abscess: Changing patterns in approach". World J Gastrointest Surg. 2 (12): 395–401. doi:10.4240/wjgs.v2.i12.395. PMC 3014521. PMID 21206721.
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  21. Chu KM, Fan ST, Lai EC, Lo CM, Wong J (1996). "Pyogenic liver abscess. An audit of experience over the past decade". Arch Surg. 131 (2): 148–52. PMID 8611070.
  22. Bächler P, Baladron MJ, Menias C, Beddings I, Loch R, Zalaquett E; et al. (2016). "Multimodality Imaging of Liver Infections: Differential Diagnosis and Potential Pitfalls". Radiographics. 36 (4): 1001–23. doi:10.1148/rg.2016150196. PMID 27232504.
  23. Lee TY, Wan YL, Tsai CC (1994). "Gas-containing liver abscess: radiological findings and clinical significance". Abdom Imaging. 19 (1): 47–52. PMID 8161903.
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  25. Jeffrey RB, Tolentino CS, Chang FC, Federle MP (1988). "CT of small pyogenic hepatic abscesses: the cluster sign". AJR Am J Roentgenol. 151 (3): 487–9. doi:10.2214/ajr.151.3.487. PMID 3261506.
  26. Méndez RJ, Schiebler ML, Outwater EK, Kressel HY (1994). "Hepatic abscesses: MR imaging findings". Radiology. 190 (2): 431–6. doi:10.1148/radiology.190.2.8284394. PMID 8284394.
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  28. Ralls PW, Barnes PF, Radin DR, Colletti P, Halls J (1987). "Sonographic features of amebic and pyogenic liver abscesses: a blinded comparison". AJR Am J Roentgenol. 149 (3): 499–501. doi:10.2214/ajr.149.3.499. PMID 3303877.
  29. https://radiopaedia.org/articles/hepatic-abscess-1 Accessed on February 26, 2017
  30. Hui JY, Yang MK, Cho DH, Li A, Loke TK, Chan JC; et al. (2007). "Pyogenic liver abscesses caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae: US appearance and aspiration findings". Radiology. 242 (3): 769–76. doi:10.1148/radiol.2423051344. PMID 17325065.
  31. Halvorsen RA, Foster WL, Wilkinson RH, Silverman PM, Thompson WM (1988). "Hepatic abscess: sensitivity of imaging tests and clinical findings". Gastrointest Radiol. 13 (2): 135–41. PMID 3282964.
  32. Rajak CL, Gupta S, Jain S, Chawla Y, Gulati M, Suri S (1998). "Percutaneous treatment of liver abscesses: needle aspiration versus catheter drainage". AJR Am J Roentgenol. 170 (4): 1035–9. doi:10.2214/ajr.170.4.9530055. PMID 9530055.
  33. Ch Yu S, Hg Lo R, Kan PS, Metreweli C (1997). "Pyogenic liver abscess: treatment with needle aspiration". Clin Radiol. 52 (12): 912–6. PMID 9413964.
  34. Zerem E, Hadzic A (2007). "Sonographically guided percutaneous catheter drainage versus needle aspiration in the management of pyogenic liver abscess". AJR Am J Roentgenol. 189 (3): W138–42. doi:10.2214/AJR.07.2173. PMID 17715080.
  35. Cheng HC, Chang WL, Chen WY, Kao AW, Chuang CH, Sheu BS (2008). "Long-term outcome of pyogenic liver abscess: factors related with abscess recurrence". J Clin Gastroenterol. 42 (10): 1110–5. doi:10.1097/MCG.0b013e318157e4c1. PMID 18458641.