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Amebic liver abscess.

Amebic liver abscess was seen in 35 patients over a ten-year period at Cook County and the University of Illinois hospitals, Chicago; 32 had immigrated from an area of endemic amebiasis, but three were natives of Chicago. Typically they had right upper-quadrant abdominal pain and fever of short duration (nine days); on physical examination, upper abdominal tenderness and hepatomegaly were usually present. The diagnosis was confirmed by liver scan, serologic studies, aspiration of "anchovy paste" from the abscess, and/or a favorable response to specific antiamebic therapy. Most were solitary abscesses in the right lobe of the liver. Metronidazole treatment alone was adequate in 24 of 29 patients (83%). Nine patients underwent percutaneous or surgical drainage of the abscess owing to incorrect diagnosis (three), persistent pain and fever after medical treatment (three), expanding left lobe abscess (two), and for diagnosis (one). Mortality was 5.7% (two patients). Owing to current immigration patterns amebic liver abscess should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with right upper-quadrant pain and fever. The diagnosis should be confirmed with a liver scan and serologic study for amebiasis.

Adolescent↗

Amebic liver abscess: a study of 11 cases compared with a series of 38 patients with pyogenic liver abscess.

Amebic liver abscess is an uncommon disease in the northern states of North America with 11 cases seen among approximately 500,000 Mount Sinai Hospital admissions over a 16-year period. Five of 11 cases originated in, or had recently visited South America. In three of these, and two patients with concomitant intestinal amebiasis, the diagnosis was suspected on admission. Diagnosis after admission was rapid, mean 5 days, compared with a mean of 13 days in pyogenic liver abscess. There was a higher incidence of male patients, nine males versus two females which was greater than the excess found in our pyogenic abscesses, 22 versus 16. Multiplicity was less common than in pyogenic abscess, 27 versus 50%, respectively. All three patients with multiple abscesses survived with surgical drainage and antibiotic therapy despite numerous complicating factors, including secondary bacterial infection. One patient resolved with drug treatment only; all others were treated with drugs and concomitant drainage; surgical drainage in earlier cases, and percutaneous drainage more recently. There was a single postoperative death. Drug treatment is the first therapeutic modality, and if recovery is delayed more than 2 days percutaneous aspiration should be carried out. This was successful in four cases. Surgery should seldom be required with present methods of accurately localizing amebic liver abscess, but is essential for ruptured abscess with peritonitis, and liver abscess with associated intestinal problems such as toxic megacolon, colonic perforation, or fulminating colitis. There has been a significant reduction in mortality of amebic liver abscess over the past 50 years and particularly within the past decade.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Pyogenic and amebic liver abscess.

Amebic liver abscess is more common than pyogenic liver abscess on a global scale. In the United States, pyogenic liver abscess is more frequently seen. The epidemiology, etiology, microbiology, clinical features, natural history, diagnostic studies, and treatment of pyogenic and amebic liver abscess are discussed.

Adult↗

Amebic liver abscess.

Amebic liver abscess is the most common extraintestinal manifestation of infection with Entamoeba histolytica, and it is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In this article the most recent available information is reviewed relating to epidemiology, pathogenesis, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment. We reviewed thousands of cases of amebic liver abscess in the medical literature and present that information as it pertains to mortality, gender, anatomic location of abscesses, and clinical signs and symptoms.

Humans↗

Amebic liver abscess.

Amebic liver abscess (ALA) highly endemic in most developing tropical countries is being encountered more frequently in other geographical areas maybe secondary to increased travel to areas where the disease is endemic as well as in the homosexual population. We report a classical clinical case of ALA in a 44 years old man diagnosed by ultrasound and positive seroameba titers who responded to oral imidazoles.

Administration, Oral↗

Decreased adenosine deaminase activity in peripheral lymphocytes of patients suffering from amebic liver abscess.

Amebic liver abscess (ALA) is associated with a state of transient suppression of cell-mediated immunity (CMI). T4 helper-inducer cell number is reported to be reduced. However, little is known of the reason for such reduction. Adenosine deaminase (ADA), an enzyme of salvage pathway in purine metabolism, is reported to be essential for the normal growth, differentiation and proliferation of T-lymphoid cells. In a pilot study we estimated the ADA levels in the peripheral lymphocytes of ALA patients. It was observed that the mean enzyme level in patients was 223.98 +/- 51.81 as against 405 +/- 38.12 in controls. The significantly low levels (p < 0.05) of enzyme in patients' lymphocytes may possibly explain the reduction of T4 helper-inducer cells reported in these cases. This parameter, if further evaluated, can serve as a differentiation marker between helper and suppressor T-cell subsets.

Adenosine Deaminase↗

Amebic Liver Abscess.

Amebic liver abscess should be suspected in travelers returning from endemic areas or in immunocompromised patients who present with fever, right upper quadrant pain, hepatomegaly, and a liver lesion on an imaging study. Rapid initiation of therapy without serologic confirmation of infection, if necessary, is important to minimize complications. Metronidazole is given orally or intravenously for 14 days. The drug is generally well tolerated and leads to resolution of symptoms in most patients within 2 to 3 days. It is effective against luminal cysts in only 50% of patients and, therefore, must be followed by a course of treatment with paromomycin (Humatin; Parke-Davis, Morris Plains, NJ) or another luminal antiamebic agent to eradicate the parasite. Image-guided drainage of an amebic liver abscess is indicated in patients who do not respond to antimicrobial therapy or who are at risk of abscess rupture. Surgery is reserved for patients with a ruptured abscess. Although medical therapy is generally successful in the treatment of infection caused by Entamoeba histolytica, the development of potent vaccines will be needed for worldwide eradication of disease attributable to E. histolytica.

Journal Article↗

Use of rapid dipstick and latex agglutination tests and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serodiagnosis of amebic liver abscess, amebic Colitis, and Entamoeba histolytica Cyst Passage.

A homemade enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a dipstick assay (Dipstick) for the detection of anti-Entamoeba histolytica antibodies in serum were developed and evaluated together with a commercially available latex agglutination test (LAT; Laboratoires Fumouze) for their use in serodiagnosis of amebiasis. The sensitivity of these assays was evaluated with sera from 27 patients with radiologically proven, cellulose acetate precipitation (CAP) test-positive amebic liver abscess, 7 patients with parasitologically and PCR-proven amebic colitis, and 11 patients with parasitologically and PCR-proven E. histolytica cyst passage. The sensitivities of the ELISA, Dipstick, and LAT were all 93.3% (42/45). With a combination of Dipstick and LAT, all abscess and colitis patients had at least one positive result. The specificity was assessed with 238 sera from patients with various parasitic, bacterial, viral, and fungal infectious diseases, sera containing autoimmune antibodies, and sera from healthy blood donors. The specificities of the ELISA, Dipstick, and LAT were 97.1%, 98.1%, and 99.5%, respectively. Of 61 sera from patients with PCR-proven E. dispar infection, 60 (98.4%) were negative in both Dipstick and LAT and 59 (96.7%) were negative in ELISA. Our data suggest that all three assays are sensitive serological tests. The rapid LAT and Dipstick provide fast results and can easily be applied in routine laboratories in order to facilitate the diagnosis of amebiasis.

Animals↗

Intrathoracic presentation of amebic liver abscess.

Amebic infection is endemic in tropical and subtropical countries and still remains a common cause of chronic morbidity in these areas. This is a report of 10 patients with different intrathoracic presentations of amebic liver abscess who were treated surgically after conservative measures had failed. Five of these patients had empyema when first seen, 3 had lung abscess, and 1 had intrathoracic shadow that proved on exploration to be an amebic liver abscess. All of these 9 patients had abscesses on the right side secondary to amebic liver abscess of the right lobe of the liver. The tenth patient had amebic pericarditis secondary to amebic abscess of the left lobe of the liver. Failure of conservative treatment in these patients is attributed to the thick nature of the amebic pus and the severe reaction of the pleura and pericardium to the amebic infection. To avoid the serious complication of pleuropulmonary amebiasis, early operation is advised for large liver abscesses that are unlikely to be controlled by conservative treatment. Transpleural drainage of such abscesses gives direct approach to their sites, which are commonly located in the superior part of the right lobe of the liver. Such drainage has proved to be safe provided that the patient is receiving antiamebic drug treatment.

Adolescent↗

A note on indirect hemagglutination (IHA) antibody titers among hospitalized patients in Thailand with amebic liver abscesses.

Amebic hepatic abscess is a tropical disease with a wide spectrum of clinical presentations. A retrospective case review was performed on 39 hospitalized patients in Thailand with the diagnosis of amebic liver abscess. A total of 23 men (59%) and 16 women (41%), with a mean age of 44.56 +/- 21.81 years (range, 10 to 88 years), were involved in the study. The average duration of present illness was 7.33 +/- 0.83 days. Abscesses were discovered in the right lobe in 29 patients (74.4%), in the left lobe in 3 patients (7.7%), and in both lobes in 7 patients (17.9%). Thirty patients had single abscesses (76.9%) and 9 patients had multiple abscesses (23.1%). On admission, the average white blood count was 17.37 +/- 6.34 x 1000 WBC/mm3, serum albumin was 2.86 +/- 0.61 g/dL, prothrombin time was 16.52 +/- 5.8 seconds, serum aspartate transaminase (AST) was 92.62 +/- 118.74 U/L, serum alanine transaminase (ALT) was 83.74 +/- 107.84 U/L, serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was 407.68 +/- 343.42 U/L, and serum bilirubin was 2.44 +/- 2.08 g/dL. Average indirect hemagglutination (IHA) titer of the cases was 1:1190.35 +/- 895.42 (range, 1:256 to 2048). Concerning the multiple logistic regression analysis, no significant correlation was found between antibody titer and the other parameters. Of interest, pathogenic organisms were detected in stool in only 2 cases. This study shows the usefulness of serologic study in diagnosis of amebic liver abscess.

Adolescent↗

Amebic liver abscess complicated with cardiac tamponade and mediastinal abscess.

Amebic pericarditis is an extremely rare complication of liver abscess and an uncommon etiology of sterile pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade. The association of mediastinal abscess in this clinical setting has not been reported in the literature. Herein, we describe a case of amebic liver abscess complicated with mediastinal abscess and amebic pericarditis with cardiac tamponade. A 44-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of shortness of breath for the previous 2 days. Cardiac tamponade was diagnosed and emergency pericardiectomy was performed. Chocolate-like pus was found in the pericardial sac and mediastinal space during surgery. Abdominal computed tomography revealed an ill-defined hypodense lesion over the left lobe of the liver, suggesting a liver abscess. Amebic liver abscess and pericarditis were diagnosed on the basis of a high serum titer of amebic antibodies on hemagglutination test. The patient was treated with metronidazole for 2 weeks and discharged in good condition. This case should alert clinicians to the possibility of amebic pericarditis in patients with cardiac tamponade associated with chocolate-like sterile pus in the pericardium and mediastinum. To establish the diagnosis of amebic pericarditis, one should investigate the presence of a liver abscess, a high serum titer of amebic hemagglutination antibodies, and the presence of Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites in the pericardium or pericardial aspirate.

Abscess↗

[Latex agglutination test in amebic liver abscess].

Amebic hepatic abscesses are one of the most frequent and serious complications of intestinal amibiasis. Although many methods exists with which the diagnosis can be made, frequently problems do arise. Serologic reactions play an important role in the diagnosis of amebic hepatic abscess. Among the most useful of the serological tests, is that which evaluates agglutination with latex particles. Latex agglutination was positive in 98.5% of 200 cases of proved amebic hepatic abscess. The pros and cons of the utility of this test compared with other serological tests are discussed. It is concluded that or the especialist as well as the general practicioner latex agglutination can be extremely useful in the diagnosis of amebic hepatic abscess.

Adult↗

Pyogenic and amebic liver abscesses.

Pyogenic and amebic liver abscesses are the two most common hepatic abscesses. Amebic abscesses are more common in areas where Entamoeba histolytica is endemic, whereas pyogenic abscesses are more common in developed countries. Pyogenic abscess severity is dependent on the bacterial source and the underlying condition of the patient. Amebic liver abscess is more prevalent in individuals with suppressed cell-mediated immunity, men, and younger people. The right lobe of the liver is the most likely site of infection in both types of hepatic abscess. Patients usually present with a combination of fever, right-upper-quadrant abdominal pain, and hepatomegaly. Jaundice is more common in the pyogenic abscess. The diagnosis is often delayed and is usually made through a combination of radiologic imaging and microbiologic, serologic, and percutaneous techniques. Treatment involves antibiotics along with percutaneous drainage or surgery.

Animals↗

Resolution of liver abscesses: comparison of pyogenic and amebic liver abscesses.

To examine the resolution of liver abscesses, a prospective ultrasonographic follow-up study was conducted in 51 patients, each with a solitary abscess (26 pyogenic and 25 amebic) which had been treated successfully by non-surgical measures. The rate of complete abscess resolution for each of the initial 6 months was 0%, 5%, 10%, 23%, 30%, and 30% in the amebic group; and 20%, 54%, 77%, 89%, 94%, and 94% in the pyogenic group. The absorption volume of the pyogenic group in the first month was also greater than that of the amebic group (3.0 +/- 5.0 ml/day vs. 1.1 +/- 0.8 ml/day, P less than 0.05). The resolution ratio of pyogenic and amebic liver abscesses in the first month was 74% +/- 38% and 36% +/- 23%, respectively. In 3 patients in the amebic group, the abscess was still detectable 2 years after treatment. These results suggest that pyogenic liver abscesses resolve more rapidly than amebic abscesses. These findings should be considered in the differential diagnosis of asymptomatic space-taking lesion in the liver.

Actuarial Analysis↗

Colonic involvement in patients with amebic liver abscess: endoscopic findings.

BACKGROUND: Amebic liver abscess is the most common form of extraintestinal amebiasis. Although the parasite enters the liver via the portal vein after invading large bowel mucosa, only 15% to 30% of patients have diarrhea. This study was done to evaluate colonic involvement in patients with amebic liver abscesses. METHODS: In a prospective study, colonoscopy was performed in 50 patients with amebic liver abscesses and 15 control patients with acute amebic colitis. The findings were correlated with clinical features and ultrasonographic appearances. RESULTS: Most patients with amebic liver abscesses presented with fever and abdominal pain. Complete examination of the colon was possible in 45 patients. Twenty six (58%) had evidence of lesions in the colon. Twenty-three of 45 (51%) patients had a few discrete, small ulcers restricted to the right side of colon. Three of 45 (7%) patients with liver abscesses, who also had diarrhea at presentation, had larger and more numerous ulcers with inflammation of the surrounding mucosa of the left colon. Control patients with amebic colitis presented with diarrhea. Endoscopically, they all had multiple large ulcers with diffuse inflammation of the intervening mucosa of the left colon, similar to that seen in patients with liver abscess having diarrhea. CONCLUSIONS: Colonic involvement is common in patients with amebic liver abscess but most patients do not suffer from diarrhea, possibly because of very limited extent of the pathology that is confined mainly to the right side of colon.

Adult↗

[Amebic liver abscess and amebic colitis in a couple].

Amebiasis is a disease commonly extended all around the world, its prevalence depending on the population under study. In Spain, most cases published are of exotic acquisition. We present the case of a married couple from Venezuela presenting two different forms of invasive amebiasis: acute colitis and hepatic abscess. In our environment, once the diagnosis of amebiasis is established, a close follow-up of the patients must be made, including the evaluation of the closest contacts. Regarding the treatment, we think that the asymptomatic forms must be treated with a luminal amebicidal and the symptomatic forms, with hystic amebicidal followed by luminal amebicidal.

Abdomen, Acute↗

Amebic liver abscess: a report of 100 cases.

Amebic abscess of the liver occurs in about 10% of cases of amebic colitis. The clinical features and laboratory data in 100 patients over a period of three years are presented. Interesting clinical observations were afebrile presentation in 14% and jaundice in 9% of cases. Most of the liver function tests were of no diagnostic value. However, elevated alkaline phosphatase in 69% of cases, in the presence of normal SGOT and SGPT levels, is significant. Hepatic scan, indirect hemagglutination test and splenoportogram are useful collateral aids in its diagnosis. Peritoneal rupture occurred in two cases only. In general, the response to specific anti-amebic therapy combined with aspiration of the abscess was highly satisfactory. Open drainage of the abscess is advocated if a secondary infection supervenes.

Adolescent↗