RESUMO
From 1975 to 1983, 418 cases of amoebic liver abscess were admitted to the Department of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital without definite increase or decrease in the overall incidence and without seasonal preponderance. The age range was 16-81 yrs and mean age 42.4 yrs. Male to female ratio was 5:1. Pertinent clinical features were pain, fever and hepatomegaly with predominant involvement of the right lobe. Principal treatment consisted of needle aspiration combined with amoebicidal drugs, i.e. metronidazole, tinidazole and ornidazole. The efficacy of each was similar. Surgical drainage was required in only 2.1 per cent of uncomplicated cases and mortality rate was 0.7 per cent. Ruptures into pleural, pericardial and peritoneal cavity were found in 15.4 per cent and secondary infection in 11.9 per cent. Mortality rate of cases with complication was 7.14 per cent. Length of hospital stay was 12.8 days for the uncomplicated cases and 24.1 days for cases with complications (excluding the nonsurvivals).