ABSTRACT
Background: A pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) is the most frequently observed subtype of liver abscess in the western world. The disease has been subjected to a remarkable change. We aimed to investigate the recent trend in pyogenic liver abscess's epidemiology, clinical, microbiological, and risk factors features.Methods: A retrospective analysis of medical records was done for the patients diagnosed with PLA from January 2000 to June 2018. The institutional review board approved the study.Results: We identified 113 patients with PLA, 60% were males, with a mean age of 54 ± 20 years, and 58 ± 19 years old for males and females, respectively (p = 0.298), with an increasing annual incidence in 2012-2013, and 2016-2017 (Figure 1). Fever and right upper quadrant abdominal pain were the most common symptoms (65%, 55%, respectively). Forty percent of the patients had Biliary tract diseases like cholecystitis or biliary intervention as cholecystectomy or ERCP, and 20% had diabetes mellitus (Table 1). The abscess culture was obtained in 96 cases, 37 cases were negative (39%), 27 cases showed polymicrobial growth (28%) and 15 cases showed Escherichia coli (16%) (Figure 2). The abscess cultures were mostly negative in the first 5 years, then changed to Streptococcus anginosus, and polymicrobial growth in the last four years.Conclusions: PLA is more common in males with a recent increase in incidence. Culture negative PLA was observed in patients who were empirically treated with antibiotics. Polymicrobial was the most common identifiable organism with a change in the microbiological trend every 5 years.
ABSTRACT
Infectious Cryptococcus neoformans occurs primarily in immunocompromised patients. The primary organ affected is the lungs, but the infection of the central nervous system (CNS) is also be seen. Disseminated cryptococcosis can involve any organ in the body. However, hepatic involvement is rare. Here we discuss a case of cryptococcal hepatitis in a patient who presented with persistently elevated liver enzymes. A 56-year-old Ecuadorian female with no known past medical history presented with fever, abdominal pain, nausea, unintentional weight loss, and diarrhea for two months. Her liver function tests (LFTs) revealed elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST: 415 U/L), elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT: 201 U/L), elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP: 763 U/L), but normal total bilirubin (0.9 mg/dl). Her HIV antigen screening was reactive, and the absolute cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) helper count was 22 cell/µL. Over the course of her hospital stay, the patient's liver enzymes continued to trend upward, with negative Histoplasma antibodies and negative serum cryptococcal antigen titers. During the second week of hospitalization, her liver enzymes continued to rise with an ALP of 4046 U/L, AST of 436 U/L, and ALT of 276 U/L. With a persistent elevation of the liver enzymes without any definitive cause, an ultrasound-guided biopsy was performed. Pathology revealed cryptococcal hepatitis, and the patient was started on a 15-day course of amphotericin B with an eight-week course of fluconazole 400 mg with LFTs nearly normalizing at six weeks. This case demonstrates an unusual manifestation of cryptococcosis. Our patient did not present with the typical cryptococcal pulmonary or central nervous system infection. Additionally, our patient's serum cryptococcal antigen titers were negative, but biopsy results revealed cryptococcal hepatitis, despite a very high sensitivity and specificity of the serum cryptococcal antigen test. This case demonstrates the importance of maintaining a broad differential, specifically in immunocompromised patients.
