[Liver abscess: a practical approach]

The management of a liver abscess suspected on the basis of clinical and radiological findings is radically different depending on its amoebic or pyogenic etiology. Medical management is usually enough to treat amoebic abscess, the prognosis of which is excellent while percutaneous aspiration puncture, drainage and antibiotics is the rule in pyogenic abscess, the prognosis of which depends on the quickness of diagnosis and risk factors associated. This article first relates a case of liver abscess we had in our service and then propose, on the basis of a literature review, a synthesis of the different characteristics, diagnostic and therapeutic approaches and follow-up of amoebic and pyogenic liver abscesses.