Hepatic abscess following transhepatic drainage of subphrenic abscess

A case of an hepatic abscess that developed after percutaneous transhepatic drainage of a subphrenic abscess is presented. The location of the abscess immediately along the tract of the drainage catheter and the similar organisms recovered from bacteriologic culture suggest that the abscess was related to direct contamination along the tract of the drainage catheter. The potential for abscess formation within the liver should be considered in the choice of access route for percutaneous drainage of retroabdominal abscesses. It may be preferable to avoid transhepatic drainage in patients in whom it is anticipated that the catheter drainage will require considerable length of time.