Case number 5 : liver abscesses

Abstract

A 69 year-old smoker presented to casualty with a one month history of worsening right upper quadrant pain and lethargy. The patient also complained of constipation and decreased appetite. Initial examination revealed noticeable hepatomegaly while initial blood tests showed a very high white blood cell count coupled with deranged liver function tests. The patient underwent a CT abdomen pelvis, which showed 2 large pyogenic liver abscesses of unknown origin. The patient was started on antibiotics and underwent US guided drainage of the abscesses. The pus was sent to microbiology lab for microscopy, culture and sensitivity. The patient was monitored until the abscesses began to resolve and was investigated further to try and establish the cause of these abscesses. The patient was discharged 21 days post-admission.