[Bacterial liver abscess cured by nonsurgical treatment. Comments on 8 cases]

Eight cases (3 children aged 7-15 years and 5 adults aged 16-46 years) of hepatic abscess in whom a cure was obtained by medical therapy are presented. The abscess occurred during septicemia (2 cases), cutaneous staphylococcosis (2 cases) and pyocholecystitis (1 case). In 3 patients the abscess remained cryptogenic. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed by scintigraphy, ultrasonography and in one case by radiography with contrast substance in the abscess. The microorganisms, isolated in 3 patients from the abscess and in one patient from hemoculture, were S. aureus (3 cases) and gram negative bacilli (1 case). The systemic antibiotic therapy consisted in the administration of gentamicin and oxacillin or rifampicin in 4 cases and gentamicin and chloramphenicol or ampicillin and metronidazole in other 4 cases for an average interval of 39 days. The associated local therapy (3 cases) consisted in one or more punctures, followed by the injection of gentamicin.