Cryptogenic abscess of the liver. Evidence of underlying reticuloendothelial cell dysfunction

Evidence of underlying liver disease and reticuloendothelial system dysfunction was sought in five adults with histories of idiopathic or "cryptogenic" liver abscess. Although no evidence of underlying liver disease was obtained (median follow-up, 3.4 years; range, 2.1 to 4.8 years), four of five individuals demonstrated a marked impairment in their ability to clear antibody-tagged erythrocytes from the systemic circulation. The results of this study suggest that patients who develop cryptogenic abscesses of the liver have an underlying reticuloendothelial cell defect that may predispose them to liver abscess formation.