Hepatic Abscess in a Returning Traveler with Crohn’s Disease: Differentiating Amebic from Pyogenic Liver Abscess

Liver abscess is a rare but serious complication of Crohn’s disease. Patients with Crohn’s disease are at risk for pyogenic liver abscesses due to immunosuppressive therapy, fistulous disease, and intraabdominal abscesses. Inflammatory bowel disease patients are also known to have a greater prevalen...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Daria Gaut, Hannah Shull, Anthony Bejjani, Daniel Kahn
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2018-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Medicine
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/9593865
Description
Summary:Liver abscess is a rare but serious complication of Crohn’s disease. Patients with Crohn’s disease are at risk for pyogenic liver abscesses due to immunosuppressive therapy, fistulous disease, and intraabdominal abscesses. Inflammatory bowel disease patients are also known to have a greater prevalence of amebiasis compared to the rest of the population; however, a higher incidence of amebic liver abscess has not been reported. We describe a case of a liver abscess in a patient with Crohn’s disease that was initially presumed pyogenic but later determined to be amebic in origin. Epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of amebic and pyogenic liver abscesses are discussed.
ISSN:1687-9627
1687-9635