[Pyogenic liver abscess: a retrospective patient study].
BACKGROUND
Pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) is a disease with changing origins as well as diagnostic and therapeutic options in the last decades.


METHODS
A retrospective study of the last 20 patients treated at a gastroenterological department of a university clinic for the major diagnosis of PLA was conducted. Epidemiological, clinical, microbiological and therapeutic aspects were recorded.


RESULTS
75 % of the patients were male. The mean age was 51.7 ± 16.6 years. Most of PLA (70 %) had a hepatobiliary origin. Diabetes mellitus (25 %) and cholangiocarcinoma (20 %) were the major risk factors for PLA. Crohn's disease was a possible cause in at least one patient. Fever (70 %) and tachycardia (50 %) were the most common symptoms. The C-reactive protein was elevated in all patients. Enterococci (> 40 %) and anaerobes (> 20 %) were the most frequent organisms in abscess cultures, Escherichia coli (25 %) was the most frequent organism in blood cultures.


CONCLUSIONS
The clinical presentation of PLA is usually non-specific. Therefore especially with patients having typical risk factors the differential diagnosis of PLA should be considered. Particularly patients suffering from PLA without any pre-existing illness should be examined for an underlying disease.
I. Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg. rzenouzi@uke.de
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Schmiedel
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D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D046290:Liver Abscess, Pyogenic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D002097:C-Reactive Protein