A Case of Liver Abscess Probably Caused by Acute Appendicitis

Tomomichi Yoshikawa¹⁾³⁾, Masaru Suga¹⁾, Kazuaki Sasaki²⁾, Hiroshi Yamaguchi¹⁾³⁾, Daisei Inoue¹⁾³⁾ and Koichi Hirata²⁾

¹⁾Dohtoh Hospital ²⁾Dohto Hospital ³⁾First Department of Surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine

A 22-years old woman admitted to our hospital with a high-grade fever reported abdominal pain. She was diagnosed with acute enteritis in an other hospital a week before. She also demonstrated McBurney's sign and rebound soreness in the abdomen. Emergency surgery was undertaken based on a dignosis of peritonitis due to acute appendicitis. Puruloid ascites was seen near the ileocecum. Appendectomy and drainage of the peritoneal cavity were conducted. Appetite loss, general malaise, and a slight fever continued postoperatively. Abdominal computed tomography 14 days postoperatively showed a low-density area at the liver S6 80 mm in diameter. Suspecting a liver abscess, we conducted US-guided percutaneus abscess drainage. Antibiotics were administered both systemically and directly into the abscess cavity. After drainage for 21 days, the abscess cavity disappeared and the catheter was removed 29 days after drainage.

Key words
acute appendicitis, liver abscess

Reprint requests
Tomomichi Yoshikawa Department of Surgery, Dohtoh Hospital 2-1-6 Mutumi, Kushiro-chou, Kushiro-gun, 088-0615 JAPAN

Accepted
November 29, 2000

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