Liver abscesses are very rare complications of ulcerative colitis, and furthermore, there has been only one case of splenic abscess in a patient with ulcerative colitis reported in the English literature. We recently encountered a patient with ulcerative colitis accompanied by both hepatic and splenic abscesses. The patient was treated with abscess drainage as well as sulfasalazine and antibiotics. Follow-up sonography of the abdomen showed complete resolution of the lesions. To our knowledge, this is the first report of combined case of multiple liver abscesses combined with splenic abscess in a patient with ulcerative colitis.
Abdominal Abscess/complications/*pathology ; Adolescent ; Colitis, Ulcerative/complications/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Abscess/complications/*pathology ; Splenic Diseases/complications/*pathology

Primary adenosquamous carcinoma of the liver is a very rare type of cholangiocarcinoma and is defined as a cancer containing both squamous and adenomatous components in the same lesion. Recently, we experienced a primary adenosquamous carcinoma of the liver presented as liver abscess. A 63-year-old man was presented with a 4-day history of fever and chill. The radiologic study showed a 4 cm-sized, central hypoattenuated mass with peripheral rim enhancement in the left lobe of the liver. Ultrasonography-guided aspiration and biopsy suggested an adenocarcinoma with abscess in the liver. At laparotomy, the tumor occupied the left lobe of the liver and invaded the right diaphragm. An extended left lobectomy and a partial excision of the involved diaphragm were done. Grossly, the tumor was 6x5x5 cm in size and had an eccentric necrosis. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma with a transitional area.
Carcinoma, Adenosquamous/*complications/pathology/surgery ; Case Report ; Human ; Liver Abscess/*etiology ; Liver Neoplasms/*complications/pathology/surgery ; Male ; Middle Age

Hepatocellular calcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. It is important to diagnose HCC exactly before management is attempted. But, the clinical presentations and radiologic findings of liver abscess, HCC, and metastatic tumor to the liver may be quite similar, and procedures such as serum tumor marker assay, computerized tomography, and ultrasonography of the liver cannot make a specific diagnosis. We report a case of HCC successfully diagnosed by surgery which was misconceived as liver abscess and not improved by medical treatment.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Humans ; Liver/ultrasonography ; Liver Abscess/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Liver Neoplasms/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Intraabdominal abscess usually causes distress with fever, leukocytosis, pain and toxicity. Diagnosis of intraabdominal abscess is occasionally difficult and it has high morbidity. However radiologic method, such as ultrasonography, CT scan, or RI scan are helpful to early detection of intraabdominal abscess. Among these methods, ultrasonography is a noninvasive technique and performed without discomfort to patient. And also differential diagnosis between cystic and solid lesion is very easy and sequential ultrasonography in same patient is valuable for the evaluation of treatment effect. We analyzed the ultrasonic features of 48 cases with intraabdominal abscesses and the results are as follows; 1. In total 48 cases, the intraabdominal abscesses were 30 cases, the retroperitoneal abscesses, 5 cases, and the visceral abscesses, 13 cases. 2. The causes of the intraabdominal abscesses were perforating appendicitis (25 cases), postoperative complications (5 cases), pyogenic and amebic hepatic abscesses (13 cases), and the other (5 cases). 3. Round or oval shaped lesions were 26 cases (54%), irregular shape, 18 cases (38%), and multiple abscess formation in 4 cases (8%). 4. The size of the lesions were between 5 and 10cm in diameter in 54% of total 48 cases, and the most frequent feature of the echo pattern of the lesions was cystic with or without internal echogenicity (69%).
Abdominal Abscess* ; Abscess ; Appendicitis ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fever ; Humans ; Leukocytosis ; Liver Abscess ; Methods ; Postoperative Complications ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonics ; Ultrasonography

Non-typhoidal salmonellosis, which is increasing nowadays in Korea as well as in the developed countries, is manifested as enteritis in most cases, but it also encompasses bacteremia, intraabdominal infections, and bone, joint and soft tissue infections. These rare diseases are known to result from primary gastrointestinal infection and subsequent bacteremia with or without symptoms. We experienced a case of neck abscess caused by Salmonella serotype D, which is a rare but important differential diagnosis of neck abscess. We herein report it.
Abscess/*diagnosis/*microbiology ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; *Liver Cirrhosis ; Neck/*microbiology/*pathology ; Salmonella/*physiology ; Salmonella Infections/*complications

Pylephlebitis usually occurs secondary to infection in the region drained by the portal venous system. A most common antesecent focus of infection is diverticulitis and the most common blood isolate is E. coli (54%), followed by Proteus mirabilis (23%). Overall mortality is 32% and most of the patients who had died had severe sepsis prior to the initiation of antibiotic therapy. We describe a case of pylephlebitis which had appendicitis and consequent septic thrombosis of the portal vein and its branches, with dissemination of infection to the liver. The patient had recovered due to timely antibiotic treatment alone and resulted in complete resolution. Early diagnosis and treatment are basic to a favorable clinical course.
Adult ; Appendicitis/complications* ; Case Report ; Human ; Liver Abscess/etiology ; Male ; Portal Vein* ; Sepsis/etiology ; Thrombophlebitis/etiology*

Achromobacter denitrificans ; Adult ; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections ; complications ; Humans ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; etiology ; Liver Abscess ; microbiology ; Male

PURPOSE: The hepatolithiasis and associated cholangitis result in liver atropy, biliary stricture, liver abscess and intrahepatic malignancy, and a hepatic resection should be performed in such cases. The technical difficulty and accompanied inflammation with a hepatic resection frequently cause postoperative complications. Therefore, the factors affecting the postoperative complications were evaluated. METHODS: Twenty one patients, with hepatolithiasis that had received a hepatectomy at the Department of Surgery, Eulji University Hospital between March 2001 and January 2003, were reviewed. RESULTS: The postoperative complications were intraabdominal abscess (7 cases), pleural effusion (3 cases), wound complication (3 cases), T-tube site leakage (1 case), cardiac arrest (1 case), acute pancreatitis (1 case), hepatitis A (1 case) and delayed gastric emptying (1 case). The overall complication rate was 57% (12/21 patients) and the most common complication was an intraabdominal abscess (7 cases). The factors that may affect these complications were analyzed. Preoperative percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) increased the postoperative complications, which was statistically significant (p=0.027). Especially, preoperative PTBD and hepaticojejunostomy increased the rate of an intraabdominal abscess, which was statistically significant (p=0.026, p=0.008). CONCLUSION: With hepatolithiasis requiring hepatic resection there is a need to avoid unnecessary preoperative PTBD and bypass surgery for the reduction of postoperative complications, including an intraabdominal abscess. Conversely, it is considered important to remove every stone and avoid needless bypass surgery under an operation and for a hepatic resection to be performed after removing PTBD, where possible.
Abscess ; Cholangitis ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Drainage ; Gastric Emptying ; Heart Arrest ; Hepatectomy ; Hepatitis A ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Liver ; Liver Abscess ; Pancreatitis ; Pleural Effusion ; Postoperative Complications* ; Wounds and Injuries

It is important that extrahepatic arteries are identified precisely at the time of graft procurement. We present a case where the accessory right hepatic artery of the liver was ligated leading to postoperative liver abscess formation in the liver graft. A forty-seven-year-old female patient diagnosed with liver cirrhosis underwent orthotopic cadaveric liver transplantation due to altered mentality. The donor graft showed a variant of the hepatic artery anatomy where an accessory right hepatic artery arose from the superior mesenteric artery. This artery was accidentally transected during procurement. Since the back bleeding test using perfusion fluid was good, the artery was ligated. Postoperative abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a 6 cm low attenuating lesion in the liver. The patient underwent conservative treatment. We believe that even small accessory arteries (1 to 2 mm) should be reconstructed whenever possible to avoid postoperative complications such as liver abscess.
Arteries ; Cadaver ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Hepatic Artery ; Humans ; Ligation ; Liver ; Liver Abscess ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Transplantation ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Perfusion ; Postoperative Complications ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

This study was conducted to investigate the risk factors for postoperative mortality and morbidity in 322 consecutive hepatic resections. The indications for the hepatic resection were 178 intrahepatic stones, 81 hepatocellular carcinomas, 21 cholangiocarcinomas, 16 benign liver tumors, 12 metastatic liver cancers, 7 liver abscesses, and 7 other diseases. The overall in-hospital mortality and morbidity rates were 0.9% and 39.4%, respectively. Various postoperative complications developed, including 60 wound infections (18.6%), 49 pulmonary complications (15.2%), 19 bile leakages (5.9%), 13 intraabdominal abscesses (4.0%), 13 ascites (4.0%), 4 bleedings (1.2%), 3 hepatic failures (0.9%), 3 cholangitis (0.9%) and 28 other complications (8.7%). Among the risk factors, perioperative transfusion was significantly associated with more frequent wound infections (p=0.004), pulmonary complications(p=0.008), and bile leakages (p=0.039). Coexisting hepatitis was related to increased pulmonary complication rate (p=0.0223) and ascites formation (p=0.0157). Diabetes, was associated with increased wound infection rate (p=0.0433), and preexisting heart disease was associated with higher pulmonary complication rate (p= 0.0213). However, age, presence of liver cirrhosis, extent of resection, operative time, pulmonary disease or combined bowel surgery had no influence on the outcome. In conclusion, minimizing perioperative blood loss and transfusion is essential to reduce postoperative complications in hepatectomy.
Abscess ; Ascites ; Bile ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Cholangitis ; Heart Diseases ; Hepatectomy ; Hepatitis ; Hospital Mortality ; Liver ; Liver Abscess ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Neoplasms ; Lung Diseases ; Mortality ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; Risk Factors* ; Wound Infection