Liver abscess causes

Abscess Main Page
Liver abscess Main Page
Overview
Causes
Classification Pyogenic liver abscess Amoebic liver abscess
Differential Diagnosis

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Common causes of liver abscess include Bacteroides, Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus.

Causes

There are many potential causes of liver abscesses, including:

• Abdominal infection such as appendicitis, diverticulitis, or a perforated bowel

• Infection in the blood

• Infection of the bile draining tubes

• Recent endoscopy of the bile draining tubes

• Trauma that damages the liver

The most common bacteria that cause liver abscesses are:

• Bacteroides

• Enterococcus

• Escherichia coli

• Klebsiella pneumoniae

• Staphylococcus aureus

• Streptococcus

In most cases, more than one type of bacteria is found.