Successful hepatectomy for intraperitoneal rupture of pyogenic liver abscess caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae

Clin J Gastroenterol. 2012 Apr;5(2):136-40. doi: 10.1007/s12328-012-0293-6. Epub 2012 Mar 25.

Abstract

Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) is the most common cause of pyogenic liver abscess in eastern Asia. KP liver abscess commonly presents as a single large abscess with a predominantly solid consistency. It is sometimes unsuitable for percutaneous catheter drainage because of the poorly liquefied contents. Antibiotic therapy alone may raise a probability of treatment failure and occurrence of complications such as abscess rupture. Hepatic or portal venous thrombosis, hematogenous spread, and spontaneous rupture also occur frequently. We report a case of KP liver abscess with a typical solid appearance, complicated by disseminated intravascular coagulation, spontaneous rupture, and pyogenic spondylitis.

Keywords: Hepatic venous thrombosis; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Liver abscess; Pyogenic spondylitis; Rupture.