Percutaneous drainage is currently the treatment of choice in liver abscess. The most commonly used technique is catheter placement but this procedure is not free of complications.
Objective: To analyze the safety and efficacy of needle aspiration in the treatment of liver abscesses.
Patients and methods: Non-random, prospective study of nine patients with pyogenic liver abscess who underwent simple needle aspiration with sonographic guidance.
Results: In all patients, aspiration identified the etiologic agent. In eight patients (88.9%) the procedure was effective and in the remaining patients, the abscess was finally drained by sonographically guided catheter placement. In five patients, aspiration was successful at the first attempt and only one abscess required more than two attempts. No complications were observed.
Conclusions: In our experience, needle aspiration with sonographic guidance is safe and effective in the treatment of pyogenic liver abscesses. Use of catheters is reserved for cases of rapid reaccumulation of exudate without general improvement in the patient.