Unusual liver abscess secondary to ingested foreign body: laparoscopic management

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology and Hepatology
• Surgical Pathology

Background:

• Liver abscesses typically arise from biliary tract infections, hematogenous spread, or hepatic artery seeding.
• Superinfection of necrotic tissue or local events like foreign body migration can also cause liver abscesses.

Observation:

• A case of a solitary pyogenic liver abscess with no apparent systemic cause was observed.
• The abscess was linked to a migrated ingested foreign body, specifically a fish bone.

Findings:

• The fish bone migrated through the gastric wall and lodged in the left lobe of the liver.
• This resulted in the formation of a solitary liver abscess.

Implications:

• Ingested foreign bodies, such as fish bones, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of solitary liver abscesses.
• This case underscores the importance of a thorough patient history to identify potential causes of intra-abdominal pathology.