Pyogenic liver abscesses concomitant with advanced gastric cancer: a case report

It has been reported that gastric cancer rarely causes pyogenic liver abscesses because of its mucosal acid barrier. Herein, we describe a rare case of pyogenic liver abscesses concomitant with advanced gastric cancer. A 61-year-old man was transferred to our hospital with persistent nausea and fever. Computed tomography showed a lobulated lesion in the caudate lobe of the liver, slightly rim-enhanced lesions in the right lobe, enhanced mass on the lesser curvature of the upper gastric body, and enlarged regional lymph nodes. Subsequent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a type 3 tumor on the lesser curvature of the upper gastric body; pathological examination of a biopsy showed adenocarcinoma. After treatment with antibiotics, the lesion in the caudate lobe decreased in size and the enhanced lesions in the right lobe resolved. The patient underwent curative gastrectomy; the pathological diagnosis was gastric cancer, T4aN3aM0 stage IIIB, according to the Japanese classification of gastric carcinoma (Third English edition). The patient was discharged without complications and underwent adjuvant chemotherapy. Gastric cancer can cause pyogenic liver abscesses. Although differentiating between liver abscesses and hepatic metastases can be difficult, multidisciplinary and appropriate treatment strategies are needed.