Epidemiology, Clinicopathology And Management Of Liver Abscess In Tertiary Care Centre

Abstract

Background: Liver abscess is a fatal ailment in the developing areas of the country, affecting most of the young adults with certain risk factors and lethal complications and a clinical diagnostic dilemma. We have described the epidemiology, clinicopathology and management of liver abscess in our institution.
Method: This is a prospective analytical, two-armed study design done in the department of General Surgery at RIMS Ranchi, involving 90 patients admitted in the indoor ward of department of General Surgery of RIMS Ranchi. The diagnosis was made on the basis of clinical findings, risk factors, lab findings and imaging evidences. All the data (gender involved, type of abscess, common risk factors, diagnostic dilemma and management) of patients were collected and compared. Furthermore, all patients were managed according to the standard protocol requiring either medical, interventional or surgical management.
Result: Pyogenic abscess was found to be more common here at Rims Ranchi than the classical amoebic abscess. The commonest organism found in pus samples was Klebsiella. There was a strong correlation with low socioeconomic status, chronic alcoholism and other immunocompromised states like diabetes, other GI comorbidities and malnutrition. Among imaging, USG was found accurate and cost-effective in the diagnosis. Most of the patients went percutaneous drainage, which was found efficient in remission.
Conclusion: Liver abscess present mostly with vague symptoms, and every clinician should know the loopholes that points toward its diagnosis. The study suggests early diagnosis through imaging modalities and thus prevention of most of the fatal complications.