Volume : 4, Issue : 1, January - 2015

Pyogenic Liver Abscess and the Emergence of Klebsiella as an Etiology: a Retrospective Study

Dr N. K. Vaghela, Dr Sanket Katara, Dr Aakash Rathod, Dr Divyesh Chaudhary

Abstract :

<p>Pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) is a significant, though uncommon, cause of morbidity in the United States. Recently,< /> Klebsiella has emerged as an important cause of PLA. We analyzed the clinical course, microbiology, and treatment< /> outcomes of patients discharged with PLA. In addition, we sought to examine the incidence of and risk factors for< /> Klebsiella liver abscess (KLA). We identified 49 cases of PLA. Abscess cultures were positive in 23 (48%) patients. The mean age of the pts was< /> 56 years (range: 20&ndash;83 years). Sixty percent were male. The most frequent conditions associated with PLA were intra&ndash;abdominal infections (ten< /> cases; 20%), diabetes mellitus (nine cases; 18%) and malignancy (nine cases; 18%). Klebsiella was the most commonly isolated species from the< /> abscess cultures (seven cases; 30% of all positive abscess cultures). We used univariate and logistic regression analyses to identify the risk factors< /> for KLA. Controlling for age, only malignancy was identified in our study as a risk factor for a Klebsiella liver abscess. Klebsiella is emerging as an< /> important cause of liver abscesses. Malignancy may be an important risk factor for Klebsiella liver abscess.</p>