Amoebic liver abscess rupturing into the chest: ultrasonographic appearance.

Two cases of amoebic liver abscess perforating into chest are reported. Both patients were males in their twenties. They presented with right upper quadrant pain in abdomen in one case and right lower chest pain in second case. Ultrasonography demonstrated hypoechoic liver abscess in superior subdiaphragmatic part of the right lobe of liver, with communication through a hole in the diaphragm into the thoracic cavity in both the cases. Both these cases were diagnosed as cases of amoebic liver abscess perforated into chest on the basis of ultrasonographic findings and both of them showed good response to specific antiamoebic therapy.

Ultrasonography in pericardial effusion.

Four cases of pericardial effusion diagnosed by echocardiography are reported. While one of the four cases was referred for echocardiography with a diagnosis of pericardial effusion, the other three patients were selected for echocardiography on the basis of cardiomegaly demonstrated in plain x-ray chest examination. Real time echocardiography was considered to be most rapid, safe, convenient, accurate and least invasive method of diagnosing pericardial effusion.