An unusual presentation of spontaneous pneumoperitoneum secondary to the rupture of a gas-containing pyogenic liver abscess: Report of a case

We describe a rare case of spontaneous pneumoperitoneum secondary to the rupture of a gas-containing pyogenic liver abscess in a 59-year-old man. The patient was diagnosed as having a hollow viscus perforation based on a sudden onset of acute abdominal pain along with radiological evidence of bilateral subphrenic feee air (pneumoperitoneum), and underwent an emergency laparotomy. Contrary to expectations, the surgery revealed no perforations of the hollow viscus, but instead a ruptured liver abscess at the dome of the right hepatic lobe was identified associated with suppurative peritonitis. To the best of our knowledge, such a case of spontaneous pneumoperitoneum secondary to the rupture of a gas-containing liver abscess is extremely rare.     

Pneumoperitoneum caused by ruptured gas-containing liver abscess

An 84-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with high fever, and she suddenly complained of severe abdominal pain the next day. Computed tomography revealed a gas-containing abscess in the lateral segment of the liver, with spontaneous pneumoperitoneum. An emergency lateral segmentectomy was performed, and Klebsiella pneumoniae was cultured from the liver tissue, abscess, and blood. The patient made a satisfactory recovery and was discharged on the thirty-first postoperative day. Pneumoperitoneum caused by the rupture of a gas-containing liver abscess is rare, and to our best knowledge, this is the first report, in the English-language literature, of a patient who has undergone successful hepatectomy for such a condition.     

Ruptured liver abscess presenting as pneumoperitoneum

The presence of free air within the peritoneal cavity, referred to as pneumoperitoneum, in 85% to 90% of cases is due to perforated bowel. The rare case is reported of pneumoperitoneum resulting from a ruptured liver abscess in a young male with no comorbidity.A ruptured pyogenic left lobe liver abscess in a 23-year-old male was accompanied by chest X-ray features suggestive of free gas under the diaphragm with peritonitis. Exploratory laparotomy was performed, with localization and drainage of the liver abscess and thorough peritoneal lavage. Culture of the pus from the liver abscess grew Klebsiella sensitive to Piperacillin and Tazobactam, and antibiotic treatment was administere Conclusion: Although pneumoperitoneum resulting from a ruptured liver abscess is rare, it must be kept in mind as a possible source, especially when the hollow organs are normal.     

Gas-containing pyogenic liver abscess —A case report and review of the literature—

The incidence of gas-containing pyogenic liver abscess is exceedingly rare. We report herein, a case of a 36 year-old Japanese woman with a gas-containing pyogenic liver abscess associated with diabetes mellitus and cholelithiasis. An abdominal plain X-ray film, which showed a fine air-fluid level in the liver at an up-right position, enabled us to easily diagnosed a gas-containing liver abscess. Echo-guide percutaneous drain-age revealed the organism to beEscherichia coli, however, although this treatment has recently been employed often in the treatment of pyogenic liver abscesses, especially single abscesses, it did not prove effective in this case. We finally cured the gas-containing pyogenic liver abscess by operative drainage.     

Unusual pneumoperitoneum secondary to ruptured liver abscess-A case report

IntroductionPyogenic liver abscess is important cause of hospitalization and life threatening disease in low-middle income countries. Clinical spectrum of ruptured GFPLA can mimic hollow viscus perforation as it usually accompanied by pneumoperitoneum and peritonitis.Case presentationWe reported here a case with pneumoperitoneum caused by ruptured liver abscess in a 27-year-old man with a history of uncontrolled type II diabetes mellitus. He had an abdominal pain, distension of abdomen associated with a high fever. Patient was diagnosed peritonitis and pneumoperitoneum presumed to be secondary to perforation of a hollow viscus and subjected to emergency laparotomy. We did not find any gastrointestinal perforation. Surprisingly, we detected a ruptured liver abscess in the right lobe of the liver.. The patient was in septic shock and hence shifted to ICU with inotropic support. Antibiotic therapy was started according to pus culture sensitivity. Even with the above treatment patient was not improved and on 4th postoperative day the patient collapsed and declared dead.DiscussionPneumoperitoneum secondary to ruptured gas containing pyogenic liver abscess is rare and could represent as life threatening infection. It should be distinguished from perforation of hollow organ by clinical symptoms and image examinations, particularly like CT. Accurate diagnosis with adequate drainage and antibiotic therapy would bring good outcome.ConclusionWe are aware that not every case of pneumoperitoneum is attributable to a perforated hollow viscus. A rapid and prompt surgical intervention with appropriate antibiotics are essential to save a life.     

Early-onset liver abscess after blunt liver trauma: report of a case

A 23-year-old male patient underwent nonoperative management for his blunt liver trauma as he was hemodynamically stable without any signs of peritonitis initially after injury. A fever of 39.5°C and severe right upper quadrant abdominal pain developed on the second day, and an abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan showed the formation of a gas-containing liver abscess in the traumatized liver. An emergency laparotomy revealed a foul-smelling liver abscess at the traumatized site, which was finally disclosed to be the result of a Clostridium species infection. A liver abscess is a rare complication following the nonoperative management of liver injury, and such an occurrence is even more rare within 1 day after injury. A Clostridium species infection is responsible for the fulminant progressing nature of the disease because the devitalized, ischemic liver parenchyma is ideal for such growth, and this is the first time that a such condition has been shown by CT images. Close observation with a high degree of suspicion is required for the successful treatment of such abscesses. Received: March 28, 2002 / Accepted: July 2, 2002 Reprint requests to: C.-H. Hsieh     

Gas-forming liver abscess following transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization for an iatrogenic intrahepatic pseudoaneurysm: Report of a case

We herein describe a case of a gas-forming pyogenic liver abscess following transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization (THAE) for an iatrogenic intrahepatic pseudoaneurysm in a 74-year-old woman. Hemobilia developed 19 days after percutaneous transhepatic cholangio-drainage was performed for the purpose of percutaneous cholangioscopic lithotripsy for the treatment of post-gastrectomy choledo-cholithiasis. Celiac arteriography disclosed a saccular aneurysm in the right hepatic artery. The pseudoaneurysm was successfully occluded by THAE with gelatin powder and a stainless steel coil of the Gianturco type. Ten days after successful THAE, abdominal computed tomography revealed a gas-containing cavity, which suggested the presence of a gas-forming abscess, in the posterior hepatic segment, and percutaneous transhepatic abscess drainage was performed. Thus, impaired hepatic perfusion following effective THAE and coexisting cholangitis may play an important role in the development of a gas-forming pyogenic liver abscess.     

Amebic liver abscess rupturing into the lesser omentum space

A case of an amebic abscess localized in the lesser omentum is reported. There was no sign of a liver abscess in the imaging examination or the operative findings. However, it is likely that the amebic infection occurred after a liver abscess ruptured into the abdominal cavity. Early diagnosis and therapy are required when an abscess of unknown origin borders the liver, given the possibility of amebic abscess.     

Right perinephric abscess: a rare presentation of ruptured retrocecal appendicitis

Perinephric abscess commonly arises from rup- ture of an intrarenal abscess into the perinephric space. It rarely results from gastrointestinal pathology. We report two pediatric patients with retrocecal appendicitis that presented with perinephric abscess. A 3-year-old girl presented with high fever and right flank pain for more than 1 week. Ultrasonography showed a right perinephric fluid collection with normal renal parenchyma and collecting system. A perinephric abscess extending from a ruptured retrocecal appendix was diagnosed by ab-dominal computed tomographic (CT) scan. Her hospital course was complicated with empyema, peritonitis, and pericardial effusion. A 6-year-old girl had lower abdominal pain for 3 days and high fever on the day of admission. Ultrasonography showed a right perinephric abscess with a normal renal contour and a fecalith in the enlarged appendix in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen. Appendectomy and drainage of the perinephric abscess were performed in both cases. We suggest that a ruptured retrocecal appendix must be considered in cases of perinephric abscess, especially in patients with gas bubbles in the abscess and a normal urogenital appearance. Ultrasonography and abdominal CT scan are the preferred diagnostic tools. Prolonged antibiotics and drainage of the abscess are mandatory to decrease morbidity and mortality. Received: 30 August 2001 / Reviesd: 15 November 2001 / Accepted: 17 November 2001     

Ruptured amebic liver abscess

A 20 years old male was referred from a district hospital having a refractory amebic liver abscess, not responding to metronidazole and aspiration. At presentation, he had pain in the right upper abdominal quadrant (RUAQ) with guarding and rigidity, accompanied by fever, vomiting and dyspnea. A diagnosis of ruptured amebic liver abscess (ALA) was made. The patient was managed successfully with ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) and metronidazole.     

Gas-forming liver abscess after transcatheter arterial embolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: Report of a case

A case of a gas-forming liver abscess developing after transcatheter arterial embolization for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a 65-year-old man is presented herein. He was admitted to hospital with fever and jaundice, following which ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography revealed a gas-containing abscess in the posterior segment of the hepatic lobe with multiple HCC. Percutaneous transhepatic drainage was performed using US. Antibiotics which were sensitive to theEscherichia coli bacteria detected in the abscess were administered both intravenously and through the drainage tube into the abscess. Four months later, the abscess had diminished and the patient was discharged after receiving percutaneous ultrasonographically guided ethanol injection therapy for the recurrent HCC.     

Liver metastases are less established after gasless laparoscopy than after carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum and laparotomy in a mouse model

BACKGROUND: Although the liver is the most frequent site of cancer recurrence after conventional open surgery for colorectal cancer, the effect of laparoscopic procedures with or without gas insufflation on the development of liver metastases is largely unknown. METHODS: Male BALB/C mice inoculated intraportally with colon 26 cells were randomized to undergo carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum (n = 14), abdominal wall lifting (n = 14), or full laparotomy (n = 12), or to serve as control subjects without any procedures other than tumor inoculation (n = 13). RESULTS: The growth of liver metastases 14 days after surgery was enhanced after full laparotomy (p < 0.01) and pneumoperitoneum (p = 0.02), as compared with that in the control subjects, whereas there was no difference in the growth of liver metastases between abdominal wall lifting and the control condition (p = 0.99). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the defense against liver metastasis is better preserved after the gasless procedure than after laparotomy and carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum in the reported animal model.     

Effects of CO2 pneumoperitoneum on blood flow vol-ume of abdominal organs of rabbits with controlled hem-orrhagic shock and liver impact injuries

Objective: To investigate the effects of CO2 pneumo-peritoneum on blood flow volume of abdominal organs of rabbits with controlled hemorrhagic shock model and liver impact injuries.Methods: After controlled hemorrhagic shock and liver impact injuries, the rabbit model was established. Eighteen rabbits subjected to hemorrhagic shock and liver impact inju-ries were divided into 3 groups randomly according to the volume of lost blood: light hemorrhagic shock (blood loss volume was 10%, 6 ml/kg), moderate hemorrhagic shock (20%, 12 ml/kg) and severe hemorrhagic shock (40%, 22 ml/kg). Intraabdominal pressures of CO2 pneumoperitoneum was 10 mmHg. Color-labeled microspheres were used to mea-sure the blood flow volume of the liver, kidney and stomach before pneumoperitoneum at 30 minutes and 2 hours after pneumoperitoneum and 30 minutes after deflation. And the mortality and hepatic traumatic condition of rabbits were recorded.Results: Of the 18 rabbits, there were 9 with liver impact injuries at Grade Ⅰ, 8 at Grade Ⅱ and Ⅰ at Grade Ⅲ (according to AIS-2005). The mortality rate in light hemorrhagic shock group was 33.33%, and that in moderate or severe hemor-rhagic shock group was 100% within 30 minutes and 2 hours after pneumoperitoneum, respectively. The blood flow vol-ume in the organs detected decreased at 30 minutes under pneumoperitoneum in light and moderate hemorrhagic shock groups. At the same time, the blood flow volume of the liver in moderate hemorrhagic shock group decreased more sig-nificantly than that in light hemorrhagic shock group.Conclusions: The blood flow volume of abdominal organs in rabbits is decreased obviously under CO2 pneumoperitoneum, with fairly high mortality rate. It is be-lieved that CO2 pneumoperitoneum should cautiously be used in abdominal injury accompanied with hemorrhagic shock, especially under non-resuscitation conditions.     

Audit of management of pyogenic liver abscess in a tertiary referral hospital

Aim: To review the management and clinical outcomes of patients with pyogenic liver abscess in Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Methods: This is a retrospective review of the management of patients with a diagnosis of pyogenic liver abscess in Queen Elizabeth Hospital from 2000 to 2004. Results: From 2000 to 2004, 143 patients with a diagnosis of pyogenic liver abscess were managed in Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Procedure‐related complications were 6/143 (4%). The success rate from percutaneous intervention was 122/143 (85%). The overall in‐hospital mortality was 18/143 (13%). Mean hospital stay was 30.1 days and the median was 23 days. Multivariate logistic regression analysis on risk factors for in‐hospital mortality showed high white cell count, large size abscess and prolonged activated prothrombin time as independent risk factors. Conclusion: In the present series, high white cell count, large size abscess and prolonged activated prothrombin time predicted poor outcomes in patients with pyogenic liver abscess.     

Ruptured Hepatic Abscess Caused by Fish Bone Penetration of the Duodenal Wall: Report of a Case

The accidental ingestion of a foreign body into the gastrointestinal tract is not uncommon; however, the development of a hepatic abscess secondary to foreign body perforation is extremely rare. We report the case of a ruptured hepatic abscess caused by fish bone penetration of the duodenal bulb, resulting in generalized peritonitis. A 73-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with generalized abdominal pain and high fever. Computed tomography of the abdomen showed ascites and a heterogeneously enhanced mass with a less-dense center and a linear dense object. We diagnosed a ruptured hepatic abscess caused by a calcified foreign body, which was managed by peritoneal lavage, drainage of the hepatic abscess, and removal of the fish bone, followed by simple closure of the hepatoduodenal fistula. The patient's postoperative course was complicated by systemic inflammatory response syndrome, but he recovered eventually.     

Radiologic pneumoperitoneum without perforation of a hollow viscus

About 10% of the radiological pneumoperitoneums occur without hollow viscus perforation. Pseudopneumoperitoneum is defined when the subphrenic lucency does not correspond to free intraperitoneal air: subphrenic fat pad, linear lung atelectasis, abnormal subphrenic shape, Chila?diti syndrome or subphrenic abscess. True pneumoperitoneum without hollow viscus perforation may result from diffusion of thorax-derived air through a phrenic defect or along sheaths of mediastinal blood vessels. The female genital tract represents another route for intraperitoneal air penetration. Other etiologies include iatrogenic pneumoperitoneum (after abdominal surgery and digestive endoscopy) and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis, when the subserous intraparietal gaseous bubbles rupture into the peritoneal cavity.     

Microwave ablation of liver metastasis complicated by Clostridium perfringens gas-forming pyogenic liver abscess (GPLA) in a patient with past gastrectomy

IntroductionGas-forming pyogenic liver abscess (GPLA) caused by C. perfringens is rare but fatal. Patients with past gastrectomy may be prone to such infection post-ablation.Presentation of caseAn 84-year-old male patient with past gastrectomy had MW ablation of his liver tumors complicated by GPLA. Computerised tomography scan showed gas-containing abscess in the liver and he was managed successfully with antibiotic and percutaneous drainage of the abscess.DiscussionC. perfringens GPLA secondary to MW ablation in a patient with previous gastrectomy has not been reported in the literature. Gastrectomy may predispose to such infection. Even in high-risk patients, empirical antibiotic before ablation is not a standard of practice. Therefore following the procedure, close observation of patients’ conditions is necessary to allow early diagnosis and intervention that will prevent progression of infection.ConclusionPotential complication of liver abscess following MW ablation can never be overlooked. The risk may be enhanced in patients with previous gastrectomy. Early diagnosis and management may minimise mortality and morbidity.     

Xanthogranulomatous Cholecystitis with a Liver Abscess and Metastatic Endophthalmitis: Report of a Case

There have been no reported cases of xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis with a liver abscess and metastatic endophthalmitis in the literature. There has been only one other case of xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis associated with a liver abscess in Japan prior to the present report. A 53-year-old man was admitted to a local hospital complaining of high fever. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography showed a liver abscess. After percutaneous transhepatic abscess drainage, he complained of an abnormal sensation in his left eyeball and was diagnosed to have endophthalmitis. After being treated for the endophthalmitis, he was referred to our hospital to have the liver abscess evaluated. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography showed a normal biliary system without any communication with the liver abscess. Two weeks after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography he complained of right hypochondralgia. Ultrasonography revealed the presence of sludge in the swollen gallbladder. Under a diagnosis of cholecystitis with a liver abscess, a cholecystectomy was performed. A histological examination indicated xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis based on the findings of a granulomatous lesion consisting of foamy cells in the gallbladder wall. We herein present the first known case of xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis with a liver abscess and metastatic endophthalmitis, while also making a review of the literature. Received: December 21, 2000 / Accepted: September 11, 2001     

Ruptured amebic liver abscess

We treated two patients with a ruptured amebic liver abscess. The diagnosis was made at a relatively early stage and treatment was successful for one patient, but an accurate diagnosis of liver abscess was not made and invasive extraintestinal amebiasis led to multiple organ failure and to death for the other. Neither patient had been outside of Japan, and both were heterosexual. The origins of Entamoeba histolytica infection could not be determined. Though the mortality rate is high in cases of ruptured amebic liver abscess, appropriate management can lead to a good prognosis.     

Pneumoperitoneum and signs of peritonitis from a pleuroperitoneal shunt.

Pleuroperitoneal shunting has become an increasingly popular therapeutic option for the control of intractable pleural effusions. However, there exists a paucity of information regarding institutional and individual experiences with this technique. We report an unusual complication of a Denver pleuroperitoneal shunt that resulted in pneumoperitoneum and a clinical picture of diffuse peritonitis from a ruptured abdominal viscus. The cause of this condition was continuous decompression of a pneumothorax into the peritoneal cavity, through the shunt.