Liver abscess secondary to ingested cocktail stick: a case of minimally invasive management

Liver abscess formation following foreign body ingestion is rare but may occur if the foreign body is lodged in the gastrointestinal tract and persists. Due to the rare nature of the condition, it can easily be missed at the index presentation. Furthermore, the limited number of cases described in the literature means there is no consensus on the optimal management of this condition. Initial treatment generally consists of antibiotics with or without percutaneous abscess drainage. However, referral to the regional hepatobiliary unit may also need to be considered to discuss surgical exploration and foreign body retrieval, especially if it is located within the liver parenchyma, to treat persistent sepsis or prevent abscess recurrence. We describe a case of foreign body detection in the left lobe of the liver on follow-up imaging after the index admission and subsequent elective surgical exploration and removal.