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Related Experiment Videos

Liver metastasis presenting as pneumoperitoneum.

John Fondran1, Gary B Williams

  • 1Department of Surgery, Akron City Hospital, Summa Health System, Akron, OH 44309-2090, USA. fondran@yahoo.com

Southern Medical Journal
|March 12, 2005
PubMed
Summary

A ruptured hepatic abscess caused by Clostridium perfringens led to pneumoperitoneum in a patient with metastatic pancreatic cancer. This rare case highlights liver abscess as a potential complication of advanced malignancy.

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Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Oncology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Pneumoperitoneum, the presence of air in the abdominal cavity, typically indicates a perforated viscus.
  • Ruptured hepatic abscesses are an uncommon cause of pneumoperitoneum.

Observation:

  • A 63-year-old male presented with acute abdominal pain and radiographic evidence of pneumoperitoneum.
  • Surgical exploration revealed a ruptured hepatic abscess as the source of free air.

Findings:

  • Microbiological cultures identified Clostridium perfringens in the abscess.
  • Histopathological examination confirmed metastatic pancreatic cancer in the liver abscess, indicating a rare etiology.

Implications:

  • This case underscores the importance of considering metastatic cancer as a cause of liver abscess and subsequent pneumoperitoneum.

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  • It highlights a rare but critical complication in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, necessitating prompt diagnosis and management.