Liver abscess

A liver abscess is a pus-filled mass inside the liver.^[1] Common causes are abdominal infections such as appendicitis or diverticulitis due to haematogenous spread through the portal vein. With treatment, the death rate is 10-30%.^[2]

Types

There are three major forms of liver abscess, classified by etiology:

• Pyogenic liver abscess, which is most often polymicrobial, accounts for 80% of hepatic abscess cases in the United States.
• Amoebic liver abscess due to Entamoeba histolytica accounts for 10% of cases.
• Fungal abscess, most often due to Candida species, accounts for less than 10% of cases.

References