title: Laparoscopic management of ruptured pyogenic liver abscess.
abstract: Intraperitoneal rupture of pyogenic liver abscess is a rare but potentially fatal disease, often involving the elderly, who are commonly of poor surgical risk with background of significant medical illness. Accurate preoperative diagnosis is difficult and often necessitates exploratory laparotomy for peritonitis. We report a case of ruptured cryptogenic solitary liver abscess presented with acute peritonitis that was successfully treated laparoscopically. The laparoscopic approach obviated the access trauma, confirmed the diagnosis, was able to drain the abscess, as well as provided microbiology and histology samples. A thorough peritoneal lavage could be also performed. The use of laparoscopic ultrasound could also localize concomitant abscesses and detect associated biliary tract pathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Chai Wan, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Siu
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D007710:Klebsiella Infections / Q000601:surgery; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008100:Liver Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D013492:Suppuration; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed