Amoebic liver abscess with right pleural empyema. About a case

Abstract

Introduction: amebic liver abscess and pleural empyema are serious and infrequent complications of amebic dysentery, requiring timely drug treatment or surgical drainage. Usually drugs of the nitroimidazole group are used (metronidazole is the most used) and, if not effective, evacuation puncture is used under ultrasonographic control or drainage by conventional or laparoscopic surgery. Although it occurs infrequently, the abscess break into the abdominal, pleural or pericardial cavities can be fatal.

Presentation of the case: a 22-year-old male patient with a history of an intestinal condition with colic pain, who subsequently presented fever and progressive deterioration of the general condition. He was admitted to the Integral Diagnosis Center "Salvador Allende" in Caracas, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, with high fever and respiratory symptoms. Imaging examinations revealed a liver abscess of probable amoebic etiology and a pleural spillover. In spite of the medical treatment, the patient's evolution was torpid. Percutaneous drainage of the hepatic abscess and minimal pleurotomy of the pleural empyema were carried out, which resulted in a significant improvement in his condition and subsequently he was discharged.

Conclusions: timely surgical treatment with evacuation puncture and aspiration in cases of amebic liver abscess and secondary pleural empyema contributes to decrease the length of hospital stay and morbidity and mortality due to these conditions.