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What appears to be cancer
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arizona, Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson 85724, USA.
Archives of Internal Medicine
|June 30, 1998
Summary
This case highlights an unusual presentation of pyogenic liver abscesses, initially mistaken for metastatic cancer due to atypical symptoms like muscle weakness and weight loss, not fever or pain.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Infectious Diseases
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Pyogenic liver abscesses are uncommon infections.
- Typical presentations involve fever and right upper quadrant pain.
- Differential diagnosis for hepatic lesions is broad.
Observation:
- A patient presented with muscle weakness, myalgias, and weight loss, lacking typical abscess symptoms.
- Abdominal ultrasonography revealed multiple hepatic lesions resembling metastases.
- Initial diagnosis was metastatic malignancy of unknown primary origin.
Findings:
- Needle biopsy unexpectedly yielded purulent material.
- The true diagnosis was pyogenic liver abscess.
- This case underscores atypical presentations of liver abscesses.
Implications:
- Physicians should consider pyogenic liver abscesses in the differential diagnosis of multiple hepatic lesions.
- Unusual presentations can mimic metastatic disease.
- Prompt recognition is crucial for appropriate treatment and patient outcomes.