Percutaneous drainage of hepatic abscesses

ABSTRACT

To report our experience with percutaneous drainage of hepatic abscesses. Retrospective study of patients with hepatic abscesses seen at 2 institutions Toronto General Hospital in Toronto, Canada and King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia over a 7 year period. Complete resolution in 20 out of 22 [91%] patients. Pleural effusions developed in 4 [18%] patients. Death occurred in 2 [9%] patients with multiple abscesses on top of liver malignancy. Procedural related surgical intervention was not required. Radiologically guided percutaneous drainage of hepatic abscesses remains the gold standard approach to liver abscesses. This is in agreement with studies of other authors