Amebic liver abscess

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Liver cell death

Amebic liver abscess

Alternative Names:

Hepatic amebiasis; Extraintestinal amebiasis; Abscess - amebic liver
Treatment:

Antimicrobial therapy with 750 mg of metronidazole (Flagyl) taken 3 times a day for 10 days is the usual treatment for liver abscess.

In rare cases, the abscess mayneed to be drained to help relieve some of the abdominal pain associated with the abscess.

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Medication such as paromomycin must also be taken to eliminate intestinal amebiasis to prevent recurrence of the disease.

Expectations (prognosis):

Without treatment, the abscess may rupture and spread into other organs, and death may occur as a result. With treatment, the chance of complete cure or only only minor problems is high, at least 80-90%.

Complications:

The abscess may rupture into the abdominal cavity, the lining of the lungs, the lungs, or the sac around the heart. The infection can also spread to the brain.

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if symptoms develop after travel to an area where the disease is known to occur.

References:

Wells CD, Arguedas M. Amebic liver abscess. South Med J. 2004 Jul;97(7):673-82.

Lingvay I, Aung, K. Amebic liver abscess. eMedicine. 2004 Nov; 2662. Available online at: http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic2662.htm. Accessed June 23, 2005.

Torre A, Kershenobich D. Amebic liver abscess. Ann Hepa tol. 2002 Jan-Mar;1(1):45-7.

Feldman M, Friedman LS, Sleisenger MH, eds. Amebic Liver Abscess. In: Sleisenger & Fordtran?s Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 7th Ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders; 2002:1345-1346.