[Various considerations in the treatment of amebic liver abscess]. / Algunas consideraciones en el tratamiento del absceso hepático amibiano.

From 1974 to 1976 Acute Amoebic Hepatic Abscess treatment was viewed retrospectively with a random double blind prospective study administering metronidazol emetine, or a combination of both to three groups of 20 patients per group. The retrospective study of 1974 underlines the then predominant tendency toward a surgical management with a higher mortality (p less than 0.002). In 1976 medical treatment patients increased with a corresponding diminution of mortality (p less than 0.001). The prospective study showed no statistically significant response difference to the pharmacologic treatment variations. Here only 1.6% of patients underwent surgery and 1/3 of them received puncture drainage due to medical treatment failure. We conclude that non complicated acute amoebic liver abscess treatment should be medical, preferably with only one antiamoebic drug.