Journals / İzmir Tıp Fakültesi Dergisi / 2025 / Cilt: 4 Sayı: 4

Amoebic Liver Abscess Initially Misdiagnosed as Hydatid Cyst

Karaciğer Kist Hidatik ile Karışan Amip Apse Olgusu

Sevim Selen Karabulut(İzmir şehir Hastanesi/Izmir City Hospital)0000-0002-0508-8588
Yeliz Özdemir(İzmir şehir Hastanesi/Izmir City Hospital)0000-0002-5473-7775
Bengü Tatar(İzmir şehir Hastanesi/Izmir City Hospital)0000-0003-3787-1734
Mürteza Hakan İlter(İzmir şehir Hastanesi/Izmir City Hospital)0009-0001-6622-2410
Pages
102–105
Publication Date
2025-12-26
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

In this case, the importance of multidisciplinary approach in the diagnosis and treatment of liver amoebic abscess is emphasized.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Aim: Hepatic abscesses are infections caused by bacterial, parasitic, or mixed agents.
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Key Findings & Data:Due to the diagnostic challenges and the radiological similarities with hepatic hydatid disease, establishing a differential diagnosis in such cases is of utmost importance, as treatment and follow-up strategies differ substantially.
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Conclusion & Impact:In this case, the importance of multidisciplinary approach in the diagnosis and treatment of liver amoebic abscess is emphasized.
🔬Design:Review & Systematic Survey
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Entamoeba histolytica · Hepatik apse · Kist hidatik

Abstract

Aim: Hepatic abscesses are infections caused by bacterial, parasitic, or mixed agents. Although pyogenic abscesses are more common, amoebic abscesses are rarer but clinically important. Due to the diagnostic challenges and the radiological similarities with hepatic hydatid disease, establishing a differential diagnosis in such cases is of utmost importance, as treatment and follow-up strategies differ substantially. In this report, we present a case of transdiaphragmatic amoebic liver abscess that mimicked hepatic hydatid disease, together with a review of the literature. Case: A 25-year-old male patient presented to the emergency department with complaints of high fever, vomiting and malaise. There was no history of suspicious sexual contact, travel, radiation exposure, consumption of raw milk and dairy products, animal contact, or water consumption from rural areas. It was learned that she had no known comorbidities. Physical examination revealed high fever and coarsening of respiratory sounds. Laboratory examination revealed elevated acute phase reactants, low platelets and elevated INR. Tomography revealed ground glass areas in the right lower lobe of the lung and a 10 cm diameter cystic lesion in the right lobe of the liver. Repeated abdominal imaging revealed multiloculated hepatic abscess. A liver drainage catheter was placed in the patient who could not undergo percutaneous needle drainage due to dense content. The patient's treatment was adjusted as meropenem and teicoplanin. Control thoracoabdominal computed tomography of the patient, who had no clinical improvement, revealed areas compatible with abscess containing multiloculated air fluid densities in the lower lobe of the right lung. Metronidazole was added to the treatment with a prediagnosis of amoebic abscess. The liver abscess which decreased in size was drained and diaphragmatic repair was performed. The pathology material was evaluated as a light brown, heterogeneous, nodular amoebic abscess and clinical improvement was observed. Surgical and medical treatment was completed and the patient was discharged. Conclusıon: In the presence of heterogeneous appearance in the liver, abscess, hydatid cyst disease, primary or metastatic malignancies should be considered in the differential diagnosis. Pleuropulmonary amebiasis is a rare complication of liver amoebic abscess and may have a mortal course. In this case, the importance of multidisciplinary approach in the diagnosis and treatment of liver amoebic abscess is emphasized.

Özet

Amaç Hepatik apse, bakteriyel, paraziter ya da birden fazla mikroorganizmanın neden olabileceği bir klinik tablodur. Sıklıkla piyojenik apse görülmekle birlikte nadiren amip apsesi görülebilmektedir. Tanı koymadaki güçlükler ve radyolojik görüntülemede karaciğer kist hidatiği ile benzerlik göstermesi nedeniyle, tedavi ve izlem yaklaşımları farklı olan bu olguların ayırıcı tanısı büyük önem taşımaktadır. Bu olguda amacımız karaciğer kist hidatik hastalığı ile karışan trans-diyafragmatik geçişli amip apse olgusunun literatür eşliğinde sunmaktır. Olgu 25 yaşında erkek hasta; ateş yüksekliği, kusma, halsizlik şikayetleri ile acil servise başvurdu. Şüpheli cinsel temas, seyahat, radyasyon maruziyeti, çiğ süt ve süt ürünleri tüketimi, hayvan teması, kırsal alandan su tüketimi öyküsü bulunmamaktaydı. Bilinen ek hastalığı bulunmamaktadır. Fizik muayenede; ateş yüksekliği ve solunum seslerinde kabalaşma mevcuttu. Laboratuvar incelemesinde akut faz reaktanlarında yükseklik, trombosit düşüklüğü ve INR yüksekliği mevcuttu. Tomografisinde akciğer sağ alt lobda buzlu cam alanları, karaciğer sağ lobunda 10 cm çapında kistik lezyon raporlandı. Tekrarlanan batın görüntülemesinde multiloküle hepatik apse saptandı. Yoğun içerik dolayısıyla perkütan iğne drenajı yapılamayan hastaya karaciğer drenaj katateri yerleştirildi. Hastanın tedavisi meropenem ve teikoplanin olarak düzenlendi. Klinik iyileşmesi olmayan hastanın kontrol torakoabdominal bilgisayarlı tomografisinde sağ akciğer alt lobda multiloküle hava sıvı dansiteleri içeren apseyle uyumlu alanlar olduğu raporlandı. Tedavisine amip apsesi ön tanısı ile metronidazol eklendi. Boyutu küçülen karaciğer apsesi operasyonla drene edilerek diyafragma onarımı yapıldı. Patoloji materyali açık kahve renkte heterojen, nodüler görünümde amip apsesi olarak değerlendirilen hastada klinik iyileşme görüldü. Cerrahi ve medikal tedavisi tamamlanan hasta taburcu edildi. Sonuç Karaciğerde heterojen görünüm varlığında apse, kist hidatik hastalığı, primer veya metastatik maligniteler ayrıcı tanıda düşünülmelidir. Plevrapulmoner amebiyazis karaciğer amip apsesinin nadir bir komplikasyonu olup mortal seyir gösterebilmektedir. Bu olguda karaciğer amip apse tanı ve tedavisinde multidisipliner yaklaşımın önemi vurgulanmaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Karabulut, S. S., Özdemir, Y., Tatar, B., İlter, M. H. (2025). Amoebic Liver Abscess Initially Misdiagnosed as Hydatid Cyst. İzmir Tıp Fakültesi Dergisi, Cilt: 4 Sayı: 4, 102–105. https://doi.org/10.57221/izmirtip.1749196

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