Case report. Failure of metronidazole in amebic liver abscess

A 51-year-old man was treated with open surgical drainage and metronidazole for an amebic liver abscess. During therapy and while the original abscess was resolving, a second, noncontiguous amebic liver abscess developed. This second abscess eventually responded to emetine, chloroquine, and diodohydroxyquin therapy without surgical drainage. This unique case serves to document that new abscess may develop in the course of metronidazole therapy and illustrates the value of serial hepatoscanning in such patients.