[Clinical experience of early percutaneous drainage of amebic hepatic abscess].
BACKGROUND
Amebic hepatic abscesses are a frequent illness in Mexico, where these are different from those of the rest of the world. The treatment that we use should also be different. We propose new indications for percutaneous drainage in this pathology. In our hospital we found a high incidence in laparotomies, morbidity and lengthy hospitalization for this illness.


METHODS
We studied 29 cases of hepatic abscesses treated at our hospital from January 2002 to May 2004. Patients received the conventional treatment and we compared this group with another group of 22 patients who had drainage before 48 h of hospitalization, during the period from June 2004 to August 2005.


RESULTS
Both groups showed similar characteristics. The first group was drained only in 13.79% of cases, the second in 100%. In the first group, 44.82% had surgery and in the second group 4.5% had surgery. Length of hospitalization in the first group was 11.96 days and in the second, 4.76 days.


CONCLUSIONS
We still have no clear indications of when to opportunely drain a hepatic abscess.
Hospital Metropolitano Bernardo Sepúlveda, San Nicolás de los Garza, Chiapas 1015, Col. República Poniente, 25265 Saltillo, Coahuila, Nuevo León, México. aaavendano2001@yahoo.com
Arturo Abisai
AA
Avendaño-Arredondo
Gerardo
G
Gil-Galindo
Manuel de Jesús
Mde J
García-Solís
José
J
Pulido-Rodrígue
D000328:Adult; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008101:Liver Abscess, Amebic / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors