Liver abscess due to Bacillus cereus: a case report

Bacillus cereus is a food-borne pathogen that causes a self-limiting gastroenteritis. We describe the case of a 72-year-old woman admitted to our hospital because of acute abdominal colic pain. Over a 2-day period, her clinical condition deteriorated rapidly, with the appearance of acute abdomen. Computed tomography investigation of the abdomen showed a liver abscess (diameter approximately 3 cm). At laparotomy, the abscess was found to be ruptured to the free peritoneal cavity. The final clinical diagnosis was acute peritonitis due to a ruptured liver abscess. Bacillus cereus was isolated from culture of the pus. Up to now, no case of liver abscess due to this organism has been reported.