Management of Liver Abscess in Children: Our Experience

Concomitant Occurrence of Hepatitis A and a Pyogenic Liver Abscess: A Pediatric Case

Pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) and hepatitis A are common in developing countries. As there is an overlap of clinical features, a diagnosis of dual infection can be missed. Here, we present the case of a five-year-old male who presented with abdominal pain, fever, and jaundice diagnosed as a complicated liver abscess with concurrent hepatitis A. To our knowledge, this is the first case where a PLA co-existed with hepatitis A. Simultaneous infection should be considered when a patient with liver abscess presents with jaundice, especially in areas where both diseases are endemic. Early diagnosis of both is crucial as PLA is a potentially fatal disease and co-infection with hepatitis A may worsen clinical outcomes.

Assessment of risk factors in pyogenic liver abscesses in children

Background

Pyogenic liver abscess (LA) is a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality in developing countries like India. The risk factors predisposing to the LA specifically in children are not known. Studies done in the past largely remain inconclusive and have identified only probable causes. The cause of LA in children with no coexisting illness remains unknown.

Methodology

This prospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary teaching hospital located in New Delhi, India. All children between 2 months and 12 years of age with sonographically confirmed LA presenting to the hospital were included and managed with appropriate intravenous antibiotics and relevant investigations.

Results

A total of 52 children were included. The mean age was 6 years and 4 months, and the male: female ratio was 1.4:1. Around 50% of the patients were malnourished. Fever, abdominal pain and loss of appetite were the most common symptoms. Nine patients (17%) were managed conservatively, 13 (25%) needed percutaneous needle aspiration and 30 (57.69%) required drainage using a pigtail catheter. Poor socioeconomic status and anaemia were found to be the most commonly associated risk factors. Selective immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency was the most common primary immunodeficiency disorder followed by T-cell defect. On multivariate analysis, it was seen that in those with clinical icterus, gamma-glutamyl transferases >350 IU/m, and those with impending rupture, the time to defervescence was significantly different (P = 0.05).

Conclusion

Poor socioeconomic status causing malnutrition emerged as a significant risk factor for LA in children. Selective IgA deficiency was the most common immunodeficiency seen in a few children. Adopting a conservative approach like aspiration and percutaneous drainage led to lower mortality and good recovery rates.

Intestinal Parasitic Infections in 2023

Intestinal parasites include intestinal protozoa and intestinal helminths. Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) pose a global health problem affecting over one billion people worldwide. Although these infections are predominantly seen in the developing world, they are frequently seen in the developed countries, particularly in immunocompromised patients. Patients' clinical presentations generally include diarrhea, dysentery, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, nutritional deficiency, iron deficiency anemia, anal and perianal itching, and rarely intestinal obstruction. The intestinal parasites have similarities in their mode of transmission and life cycle. The stool test is the primary way of diagnosing IPIs. Treatment is given with various anti-parasitic agents. However, appropriate preventive measures are essential for successfully controlling the IPIs.

Pediatric Liver Abscess: Outcomes of Protocol-based Management and Predictors of Poor Outcome

BACKGROUND

Liver abscess (LA) is an important cause of morbidity in children, especially in tropical countries. There is a paucity of data in pediatric LA with no standard guidelines regarding the best modality of treatment and drainage. With a large influx of patients at our center and protocol-based management; we aimed to study clinic-radiologic profile, risk factors, complications and outcomes of children with liver abscess and assessed possible predictors for poor outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective observational study was conducted from January 2019 to September 2019 at a tertiary care hospital in India. Records of all children (<12 years of age) with ultrasonographically diagnosed liver abscess were accessed for clinic-radiological and demographic profile, laboratory investigations, treatment, complications and outcomes. Patients were categorized into favorable or unfavorable groups based on predefined criteria and were compared for possible predictors of poor outcomes. Outcomes for the protocol-based management were analyzed.

RESULTS

There were 120 cases of pediatric liver abscess with a median age of 5 years at presentation. The commonest clinical features were fever (100%) and pain in the abdomen (89.16%). The majority of liver abscesses were solitary (78.4%) and in the right lobe (73.3%). Malnutrition was present in 27.5%, overcrowding for 76.5% of patients and worm infestation in 2.5% of patients. Age-related leukocytosis (P = 0.004), neutrophilia (P = 0.013), elevated Aspartate transaminase (P = 0.008), elevated alanine transaminase (P = 0.007) and hypoalbuminemia (P = 0.014) were significantly more in the unfavorable group. Overall, 29.2% of patients underwent conservative management with antibiotics alone, 25.0% underwent percutaneous needle aspiration (PNA), 49.1% underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous drain (PCD) insertion and open surgical drainage (OSD) was needed in a single patient. The success rate was 100% for conservative management, 76.6% for PNA, 94.7% for PCD and 100% for OSD with an overall mortality of 2.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

Age-related leukocytosis, neutrophilia, elevated aspartate transaminase or alanine transaminase and hypoalbuminemia at presentation are predictors of poor outcomes in pediatric liver abscess. Protocol-based management leads to the appropriate use of PNA and PCD while decreasing mortality and morbidity related to either.

Primary liver actinomycosis in a pediatric patient: A case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Primary hepatic actinomycosis is a rare infection that can be clinically confused with hepatic pyogenic abscesses or neoproliferative processes. Only a few cases of primary hepatic actinomycosis in children have been reported in the English literature.

CASE SUMMARY

We describe a pediatric patient with primary hepatic actinomycosis that involved the base of the right lung and anterior abdominal wall and skin. The patient was diagnosed via histological examination of spontaneously drained material. The patient was successfully treated with an exploratory laparotomy and right posterior segmentectomy of the liver, combined with antibiotic treatment. Following surgery, the patient remains in excellent condition, without evidence of recurrence at the time of drafting this report. To summarize the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of primary hepatic actinomycosis, 18 case reports in English were reviewed.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that actinomycosis clinically features a chronic onset, nonspecific symptoms, and a primarily histologic diagnosis. Prolonged antibiotic treatment combined with invasive intervention provides a good prognosis.

Pyogenic Liver Abscess and Endogenous Endophthalmitis Due to K64-ST1764 Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae: A Case Report

RATIONALE

Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae, KP) are divided into two types: classic K. pneumoniae (cKP) and hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (hvKP). hvKP causes liver abscess and metastatic infection. Here, we report one case with pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) and endogenous endophthalmitis (EE) due to a relatively rarely reported serotype of K. pneumoniae in China.

PATIENT CONCERNS

An 80-year old man presented with nausea, vomiting, and epigastric discomfort for 2 weeks.

DIAGNOSES

PLA was identified by CT scan and abdominal ultrasound. Urgent ophthalmologic consultation was performed. B-scan ocular ultrasound was done and he was diagnosed as EE.

INTERVENTIONS

Antibiotic treatment, intravitreal injection of eyes and eye drops were given. Percutaneous needle aspiration, evisceration, and drainage of the right eye were performed.

OUTCOMES

Cultures of the blood, the aspirated pus from the liver abscess, and the contents of the eyeball all yielded K. pneumoniae with a positive string test. The capsular serotype was K64. According to the existence of multiple virulence genes and the severe invasive clinical manifestation, this strain is regarded as a hvKp strain. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) revealed the sequence type (ST) of this strain was K64-ST1764. Antimicrobial resistance genes, bla _NDM-1 and bla _KPC-2, were not detected in the genome. The patient lost his eyesight but his symptoms subsided. During 15 months follow-up, the result was satisfactory.

LESSONS

Here, we report one case with PLA due to a relatively rarely reported serotype of K. pneumoniae in China. This K64 K. pneumoniae strain is confirmed as hvKp by multiple methods. It is noteworthy that the sequence type is K64-ST1764 instead of the commonest ST11. Moreover, this strain is not considered a K. pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) or a carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) as it is usually. Further follow-up and research are required to investigate this strain.

Pyogenic and Amebic Infections of the Liver

Pyogenic liver abscesses are classified by the bacteria that have caused the abscess because this guides treatment and can point to the underlying cause. The most common cause is biliary disease. The diagnosis is made by imaging. Treatment is a combination of antibiotics and percutaneous drainage. Amebic liver abscess is caused by extraintestinal spread of Entamoeba histolytica. E histolytica is spread by fecal-oral transmission and typically colonizes the gastrointestinal tract. It is diagnosed based on imaging and the mainstay of treatment is metronidazole. Only about 15% of cases require percutaneous drainage. The prognosis is good, with almost universal recovery.

Pediatric Liver Abscess: Trends in the Incidence, Etiology, and Outcomes Based on 20-Years of Experience at a Tertiary Center

Background: Liver abscess is an important but relatively rare disease in children. This study investigated the clinical characteristics of eligible patients at a referral tertiary center over the past two decades. Method: A 20-year retrospective study (January 2000-December 2019) enrolled 38 children diagnosed with liver abscess. Demographic data; clinical features; laboratory, imaging, and microbiological findings; management strategy; and outcomes were reviewed from the patients' medical records. Results: Thirty-eight cases of pyogenic liver abscess were identified without a culture-proven amebic or fungal abscess. The mean age of diagnosis was 9.6 ± 6.2 years, and the male-to-female ratio was 1.92: 1. Hemato-oncological (28.9%) and predisposing hepatobiliary diseases (23.7%) were the two most common predisposing factors. Fever (94.7%) was the most common presentation followed by right upper quadrant abdominal pain (42.1%) and pleural effusion (34.2%). Among the laboratory parameters, leukocytosis was common (70.3%), and all patients had elevated serum C-reactive protein levels. Increased serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, direct bilirubin, and total bilirubin were found in 40.5, 48.6, 23.1, and 42.9% of the cases, respectively. The most common pathogen in blood and pus cultures was Klebsiella pneumoniae. The mean durations of intravenous antibiotic and total antibiotic use were 29.0 ± 15.7 and 45.1 ± 22.1 days, respectively. Twelve patients (31.6%) were treated with antibiotics alone, while percutaneous needle aspiration, percutaneous pigtail drainage, and surgical intervention were performed in 12 (31.6%), 10 (26.3%), and 5 (13.2%) patients, respectively. No mortality was documented in this series. Conclusion: The present study reflects a relatively declining incidence of liver abscess compared with prior studies in Taiwan. K. pneumoniae remains the most prevalent pathogen in both blood and abscess cultures in Taiwan. Proper antimicrobial therapy with timely drainage generally yielded an adequate treatment response without any mortality.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of liver lesions in children

Initial pediatric imaging of the liver heavily relies on ultrasonography (US) because it is free of ionizing radiation, easily portable and readily available. Although conventional US (gray-scale and color Doppler) is often an excellent screening tool, its relative low specificity compared to CT/MRI limits liver lesion characterization. The United States Food and Drug Administration's recent approval of an intravenous US contrast agent for pediatric liver lesion characterization (sulfur hexafluoride lipid-type A microspheres) and its excellent safety profile have spurred increased interest in contrast-enhanced US for definitive diagnosis of pediatric liver lesions. This review focuses on the safety of contrast-enhanced US, role of contrast-enhanced US in the evaluation of focal liver lesions, basic contrast-enhanced US technique for liver imaging, and interpretation principles. The authors review common focal liver lesions, with special attention to the role of contrast-enhanced US in the pediatric oncology population.

Successful Use of Tissue Plasminogen Activator in an Adolescent Male with Pyogenic Liver Abscess

Large pyogenic liver abscess is a rare and difficult to treat entity in pediatric patients. Percutaneous drainage rather than open surgical drainage has become more common in recent years, even for large abscesses. Percutaneous drainage can be complicated by catheter obstruction. We present the case of a 16-year-old male presenting with abdominal pain, fever, and chills. He was diagnosed with a 9-centimeter liver abscess. A CT-guided percutaneous drainage was placed. The catheter initially drained well, but then became occluded. Tissue plasminogen activator was instilled into the catheter every 6 hours for a total of five doses, resulting in increased drainage and improved clinical state of the patient. To our knowledge, this is the first reported use of tissue plasminogen activator in pyogenic liver abscess in the pediatric population.

Pyogenic liver abscess due to hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae in a 14-year-old boy

A 14-year-old otherwise healthy boy presented with right-sided back pain following high fever. Abdominal computed tomography scan showed a large liver abscess. Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) was rapidly identified from peripheral blood using the melting temperature mapping (Tm) method, which enables identification of pathogenic microorganisms within four hours after patient sample collection. He was diagnosed with pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) caused by KP on the day of admission. The KP was the hypervirulent (hv) clinical variant (string test positive, serotype K1, sequence type 23, rmpA and magA positive). After intravenous antibiotic therapy and drainage of the abscess, his condition resolved. The highlights of this case report are a healthy child with hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscess in Japan and the new Tm mapping method for rapid and accurate identification of the pathogenic microorganism.