Tuberculous liver abscess treated by percutaneous infusion of antituberculous agents

Tuberculous liver abscess has been reported in only fourteen patients in Japan and in twenty-nine patients outside Japan. Only nine of the non-Japanese patients and none of the Japanese patients have been treated for this condition without laparotomy. We report a patient who developed tuberculous liver abscess during treatment of tuberculous peritonitis. Diagnosis was made by ultrasound-guided aspiration biopsy, and the patient was treated with percutaneous drainage and transcatheter infusion of antituberculous agents. Direct infusion of antituberculous agents has more direct effects in the treatment of an abscess than systemic chemotherapy alone. Therefore, if a percutaneous catheter can be safely placed, the use of transcatheter infusion of antituberculous agents should be considered.