In this slideshow, click through to learn about 2 different conditions affecting the liver. Each slide links to the full case report for more details.
- What Is Causing Pyogenic Liver Abscess in This Immune-Competent Adult?
A 61-year-old white man with a medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, and poor dentition presented to the emergency room with fever, malaise, and right upper quadrant pain.
His symptoms had been ongoing for about 1 week, except for the right upper quadrant pain that started 2 days prior to presentation at the emergency room. He denied diarrhea, melena, recent travel, or exposure to sick individuals but said that he had mild nausea and was unable to fully tolerate his meals.
To further explore his right upper quadrant pain, an abdominal ultrasound was conducted, revealing a hypoechoic fluid collection with internal debris seen on the right lobe of the liver, measuring approximately 6.0 cm by 5.4 cm by 5.8 cm (Figure). This was further verified via computed tomography scan.
- Liver Abscess Related to Foreign Body
An 82-year-old black woman presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain of 5 days’ duration. The pain was aggravated by movement and relieved somewhat by sitting down. She denied dysphagia, odynophagia, nausea, vomiting, or change in bowel movement.
A computed tomography scan of the abdomen (Figure) showed a 7.2 × 3.0 × 5.6 cm complex, septated, low attenuated mass with internal gas compatible with an abscess in the left lobe of the liver adjacent to the gastric wall. A linear, calcified density was noted, which extended from the collection through the wall of the gastric antrum, suggesting a foreign body.
Gastroenterology
Slideshow: Presentations Affecting the Liver
06/17/2013
