Table Of Contents
- What is Liver Abscess?
- What are the causes of Liver Abscess?
- Traumatic causes of liver abscess
- What are the symptoms of Liver Abscess?
- How is the cause of Liver Abscess diagnosed?
- How is Liver Abscess treated?
What is Liver Abscess?
A pus-filled cyst in the liver is called an abscess. The liver is one of the vital organs in the digestive system that helps not only with digestion but also performs a variety of other functions such as bile production to break down food into energy; the production of elements such as hormones; flushing out toxins from the blood, regulation of fat storage and cholesterol production.
A liver abscess can occur to anyone. It is caused by infections in the surrounding organs such as bile-draining tubes, appendix, or intestines. A liver abscess can also happen due to recent surgery or any injury to the liver.
A common cause of liver abscess is a bacterial or parasite infection. A pyogenic hepatic abscess is another name for bacterial liver abscess. Amebic liver abscess is caused by microscopic organisms called amoebas that cause intestinal amebic dysentery.
If detected early, a liver abscess can be curable and healed with antibiotics or a combination of medications and surgery to drain the abscess. However, if left untreated, a liver abscess might rupture, and the infection might spread, leading to sepsis, a potentially fatal bacterial blood infection.
Untreated liver abscesses can lead to sepsis, a potentially fatal blood infection. Severe symptoms, such as choking or extreme breathing difficulty, which may be accompanied by a high fever (more than 101 degrees Fahrenheit); a change in the state of awareness or alertness, such as losing consciousness or unresponsiveness; or a change in mental status or sudden behavior change, such as confusion, delirium, lethargy, hallucinations, or delusions, should be treated immediately.
What are the causes of Liver Abscess?
A liver abscess can affect anyone. An infection in the blood, GI system, or abdomen can cause a liver abscess. Even injury to the liver due to a surgical procedure or any other trauma can also cause a liver abscess.
A liver abscess can be caused by:
- Bacterial infection of the bile drainage ducts
- Infections in the bloodstream
- Entamoeba histolytica infection (i.e., an organism that triggers amebic dysentery; it can spread through water or when you come in contact with an affected person)
- Bacterial infections in the belly are caused by appendicitis, diverticulitis, or a ruptured bowel.
Traumatic causes of liver abscess
Surgical and diagnostic processes performed in the liver can also cause liver abscess and accidental trauma, including:
Endoscopy of the bile-draining tubes
Trauma to the liver
What are the symptoms of Liver Abscess?
With a liver abscess, you will feel either one or multiple of the following symptoms:
- Clay-colored stools
- Cough
- Dark urine
- Diarrhea
- Fever or chills
- Joint pain
- Loss of appetite
- Malaise or lethargy
- Nausea with or without vomiting
- Pleuritis chest pain
- Sweating
- Unexplained weight loss
- Pain in the abdomen, specifically in the upper right area of the abdomen
- Jaundice
Some serious symptoms can be fatal and needs immediate attention.
- Respiratory problems include shortness of breath, difficulty breathing or inability to breathe, laborious breathing, coughing, choking, etc.
- Confusion, delirium, lethargy, hallucinations, delusions, change in mental status, or sudden behavioral changes.
- Fever is high (more than 101 degrees F)
- Jerky motions
- Lethargy
- Rapid heart rate (tachycardia)
- Severe discomfort
- Vomiting
How is the cause of Liver Abscess diagnosed?
Imaging methods such as ultrasonography and CT scan are used to detect the presence or absence of Liver Abscess. Blood tests may also be conducted to diagnose liver abscess.
How is Liver Abscess treated?
Both medications and surgical drainage are done to treat a liver abscess. If you have an amebic liver abscess, you will be prescribed another medication to kill any residual amoebas in your intestines and prevent the abscess from recurring.
In many cases, surgical treatment of a liver abscess is required to drain the abscess with a syringe or tiny catheter placed in the abdomen. This surgical procedure is known as laparoscopic or percutaneous drainage and aspiration.
