Clinical aspects of grave pyogenic abscesses of the liver

Solitary hepatic abscess has a favorable prognosis in contrast with multiple abscesses which generally are fatal. As compared with the classical cause of appendicitis, at present, abscesses are frequently related to biliary tract and diverticular disease. Occult or temporally remote processes are responsibile for many solitary abscesses. Lethality of multiple abscesses is related to fulminant hepatic and source sepsis, atypical syndromes, late diagnosis and difficult, complex treatment. Causative organisms are predominantly gram-negative and increasingly anaerobic, requiring special bacteriology for isolation. Various laboratory data are useful in diagnosis and prognosis, but liver scans and celiac angiography are critical procedures. Treatment aimed at lowering the mortality of multiple liver abscesses includes early diagnosis, surgical exploration and abscess drainage, direct bacterial identification emphasizing anaerobic techniques, intense specific antibiotic therapy and identification and definitive therapy of the seeding focus with special attention being given to the biliary tract.