title: Hepatic abscess caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum after a trip to the dentist.
abstract: A 57-year-old man with no significant medical history was admitted to the hospital, with high-grade fever and right upper quadrant pain. He was found, on abdominal ultrasound, to have a right lobe hepatic cystic lesion. MRI of the abdomen confirmed a hepatic abscess. Cultures obtained under CT guidance showed the abscess to be caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum. This is a rare bacterium that can cause potentially fatal liver abscesses. Following drainage and intravenous antibiotic treatment, the patient improved and was discharged on a 4-week antibiotic course. An abdominal CT, performed 6 weeks after discharge, showed total resolution of the abscess. The patient had, 2 weeks prior to the development of the liver abscess, undergone routine dental cleaning. Neither upper respiratory symptoms nor sore throat had been identified prior to the presentation.
authors.affiliation: SHH, Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Faton
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bytyci
authors.affiliation: SHH, Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Khromenko
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003815:Dentists; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods; D005674:Fusobacterium Infections; D005675:Fusobacterium necrophorum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D046290:Liver Abscess, Pyogenic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents