title: Pyogenic hepatic abscess.
abstract: We reviewed the clinical courses of 37 patients treated for pyogenic liver abscesses. These abscesses were cryptogenic in 38% of the patients, associated with biliary tract or intra-abdominal disease processes in 48%, and hematogenous in 11%. Computed tomography was more accurate (96%) in diagnosing a hepatic abscess than ultrasonography (82%). The majority of the patients were treated initially with percutaneous drainage (18) or needle aspiration drainage (5); treatment failure occurred in 9 of these 23 patients (39%). In contrast, there were no treatment failures in the 9 patients treated with primary operation. Overall, 4 of the 37 patients died (a mortality rate of 11%) but 2 of them died of underlying malignant disease rather than the liver abscess.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Louisiana State University Medical Center, Shreveport.
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Georges
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Deitch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008100:Liver Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013492:Suppuration; D016896:Treatment Outcome