title: [Pyogenic liver abscesses in cancer patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the clinical behaviour of pyogenic liver abscesses among cancer patients, and to determine whether there is any difference between clinical behaviour among patients without malignancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, multicentric study with 133 patients with pyogenic liver abscesses diagnosed during 13 years. Patients were divided into two groups: 29 patients with malignant tumors identified during the five years prior to abscess development (group 1) and 104 patients without malignant tumors (group 2). Clinical, biological and bacteriological findings, morphology and lesional topography, treatment and particularly, clinical course were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Abscesses with portal pathogenesis were more common in group 1 (24% versus 10%; p = 0.03). Clinical and biological data were similar in both group but jaundice (31% versus 18%; p = 0.09), liver enlargement (38% versus 21%; p = 0.06) and pleural effusion (48% versus 28%; p = 0.03), which were more common in group 1. In the same group, the mean AST level was also higher (112 149 versus 60 88; p = 0.07 ). Morphology and lesional topography, as well as bacteriology in both groups did not differ significantly. In group 1, surgical drainage was performed less frequently (21% versus 38%; p = 0.09) and mortality rate was higher (24% versus 11%; p = 0.08). Nevertheless, no significant differences were observed between hospital stay and morbidity. Among patients treated with antibiotics only, the mortality rate was higher in group 1 (50% versus 10%; p = 0.06).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In pyogenic liver abscess in patients with malignant tumor disease a predominance of portal pathogenesis was observed. The presence of cancer among patients with pyogenic liver abscesses did not imply a significantly different clinical presentation; however, the clinical course was worse than that observed in cases without cancer.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía General. Hospital San Agustín. Avilés.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Alvarez Pérez
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: González González
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Baldonedo Cernuda
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sanz Alvarez
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carreño Villarreal
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Jorge Barreiro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008100:Liver Abscess / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
vernacular_title: Abscesos hepáticos piógenos en pacientes con cáncer.