Amebic liver abscess(ALA)is still a common problem in the tropical world,where it affects over three-quarters of patients with liver abscess.It is caused by an anaerobic protozoan Entamoeba hystolytica,which primarily...Amebic liver abscess(ALA)is still a common problem in the tropical world,where it affects over three-quarters of patients with liver abscess.It is caused by an anaerobic protozoan Entamoeba hystolytica,which primarily colonises the cecum.It is a non-suppurative infection of the liver consisting primarily of dead hepatocytes and cellular debris.People of the male gender,during their reproductive years,are most prone to ALA,and this appears to be due to a poorly mounted immune response linked to serum testosterone levels.ALA is more common in the right lobe of the liver,is strongly associated with alcohol consumption,and can heal without the need for drainage.While majority of ALA patients have an uncomplicated course,a number of complications have been described,including rupture into abdomino-thoracic structures,biliary fistula,vascular thrombosis,bilio-vascular compression,and secondary bacterial infection.Based on clinico-radiological findings,a classification system for ALA has emerged recently,which can assist clinicians in making treatment decisions.Recent research has revealed the role of venous thrombosis-related ischemia in the severity of ALA.Recent years have seen the development and refinement of newer molecular diagnostic techniques that can greatly aid in overcoming the diagnostic challenge in endemic area where serology-based tests have limited accuracy.Metronidazole has been the drug of choice for ALA patients for many years.However,concerns over the resistance and adverse effects necessitate the creation of new,safe,and potent antiamebic medications.Although the indication of the drainage of uncomplicated ALA has become more clear,high-quality randomised trials are still necessary for robust conclusions.Percutaneous drainage appears to be a viable option for patients with ruptured ALA and diffuse peritonitis,for whom surgery represents a significant risk of mortality.With regard to all of the aforementioned issues,this article intends to present an updated review of ALA.展开更多
In its classic form,amebic liver abscess(ALA)is a mild disease,which responds dramatically to antibiotics and rarely requires drainage.However,the two other forms of the disease,i.e.,acute aggressive and chronic indol...In its classic form,amebic liver abscess(ALA)is a mild disease,which responds dramatically to antibiotics and rarely requires drainage.However,the two other forms of the disease,i.e.,acute aggressive and chronic indolent usually require drainage.These forms of ALA are frequently reported in endemic areas.The acute aggressive disease is particularly associated with serious complications,such as ruptures,secondary infections,and biliary communications.Laboratory parameters are deranged,with signs of organ failure often present.This form of disease is also associated with a high mortality rate,and early drainage is often required to control the disease severity.In the chronic form,the disease is characterized by low-grade symptoms,mainly pain in the right upper quadrant.Ultrasound and computed tomography(CT)play an important role not only in the diagnosis but also in the assessment of disease severity and identification of the associated complications.Recently,it has been shown that CT imaging morphology can be classified into three patterns,which seem to correlate with the clinical subtypes.Each pattern depicts its own set of distinctive imaging features.In this review,we briefly outline the clinical and imaging features of the three distinct forms of ALA,and discuss the role of percutaneous drainage in the management of ALA.展开更多
Amebic liver abscesses(ALAs)are the most commonly encountered extraintestinal manifestation of human invasive amebiasis,which results from Entamoeba histolytica(E.histolytica)spreading extraintestinally.Amebiasis can ...Amebic liver abscesses(ALAs)are the most commonly encountered extraintestinal manifestation of human invasive amebiasis,which results from Entamoeba histolytica(E.histolytica)spreading extraintestinally.Amebiasis can be complicated by liver abscess in 9%of cases,and ALAs led to almost 50000 fatalities worldwide in 2010.Although there have been fewer and fewer cases in the past several years,ALAs remain an important public health problem in endemic areas.E.histolytica causes both amebic colitis and liver abscess by breaching the host’s innate defenses and invading the intestinal mucosa.Trophozoites often enter the circulatory system,where they are filtered in the liver and produce abscesses,and develop into severe invasive diseases such as ALAs.The clinical presentation can appear to be colitis,including upper-right abdominal pain accompanied by a fever in ALA cases.Proper diagnosis requires nonspecific liver imaging as well as detecting anti-E.histolytica antibodies;however,these antibodies cannot be used to distinguish between a previous infection and an acute infection.Therefore,diagnostics primarily aim to use PCR or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect E.histolytica.ALAs can be treated medically,and percutaneous catheter drainage is only necessary in approximately 15%of cases.The indicated treatment is to administer an amebicidal drug(such as tinidazole or metronidazole)and paromomycin or other luminal cysticidal agent for clinical disease.Prognosis is good with almost universal recovery.Establishing which diagnostic methods are most efficacious will necessitate further analysis of similar clinical cases.展开更多
Amebic liver abscess is a parasitic disease which is often encountered in tropical countries. A hepatogastric fistula secondary to an amebic liver abscess is a rare complication of this disease and there are only a ha...Amebic liver abscess is a parasitic disease which is often encountered in tropical countries. A hepatogastric fistula secondary to an amebic liver abscess is a rare complication of this disease and there are only a handful of reported cases in literature. Here we present a case of an amebic liver abscess which was complicated with the development of a hepatogastric fistula. The patient presented with the Jaundice, pain and distension of abdomen. The Jaundice and pain improved partially after he had an episode of brownish black colored increase in frequency of stools for 5 to 6 d. Patient also had ascites and anemia. He was a chronic alcohol drinker. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy performed in view of the above findings. It showed a fistulous opening with bilious secretions along the lesser curvature of the stomach. On imaging multiple liver abscesses seen including one in sub capsular location. The patient was managed conservatively with antiamebic medications along with proton pump inhibitors. The pigtail drainage of the sub capsular abscess was done. The patient improved significantly. The repeat endoscopy performed after about two months showed reduction in fistula size. A review of the literature shows that hepatogastric fistulas can be managed conservatively with medications and drainage, endoscopically with biliary stenting or with surgical excision.展开更多
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been applied in diagnosing amebic liver infection by detecting pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica DNA in liver aspirates. Oligonucleotide primers found to be specific for the gene enc...Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been applied in diagnosing amebic liver infection by detecting pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica DNA in liver aspirates. Oligonucleotide primers found to be specific for the gene encoding the 30 kDa molecule of this pathogenic ameba were used in the test. Liver aspirates obtained from 23 patients with amebic liver abscess substantiated by typical clinical manifastation or with very high titres of anti-E histolytica antibedies by ELISA were found to be positive by PCR. Fourteen control samples (3 cases of bacterial liver abscess, I of liver cancer and 10 of other abscess) were all found to be negative to this reaction- The results suggested PCR to be a specific and sensitive tool for diagnosing amebic liver abscess infections.展开更多
Naegleria fowleri is a thermophilic,free-living ameba that is commonly known as the“brain-eating ameba.”This parasite invades the central nervous system and causes an acute fulminant infection,which results in a fat...Naegleria fowleri is a thermophilic,free-living ameba that is commonly known as the“brain-eating ameba.”This parasite invades the central nervous system and causes an acute fulminant infection,which results in a fatal form of primary amebic meningoencephalitis(PAM).Here,we report a case of PAM by an unexpected transmission route.Regrettably,the patient deteriorated swiftly and passed away subsequent to diagnosis,despite our exhaustive efforts.Here,we compiled a summary of 11 cases of PAM survivors who have all been treated with amphotericin,rifampicin and triazoles.Beside this regimen,miltefosine was also used successfully to treat PAM in an adolescent.More precise understanding of the survival rate and contributing factors can be established with further validation on ad-ditional cases.展开更多
Background:Primary pulmonary amoeba is very rare and here we report a case of a 68-year-old man presenting with primary pulmonary amoeba after undergoing chemotherapy for lung adenocarcinoma.Case presentation:In Octob...Background:Primary pulmonary amoeba is very rare and here we report a case of a 68-year-old man presenting with primary pulmonary amoeba after undergoing chemotherapy for lung adenocarcinoma.Case presentation:In October 2016,the man aged 68 was admitted to our hospital because of repeated cough for 8 months and hemoptysis for 1 month.He was diagnosed lung adenocarcinoma and underwent surgery in 2012 without receiving chemotherapy.In March 2016,the patients suffered recurrence of cancer and was treated with chemotherapy.After 2 months of chemotherapy,the patient had consistent cough with white sputum,and chest CT showed a local lung nodule.The physicians suspected that the patient had pulmonary infectious diseases,and he was treated with empirical antibacterial treatment.However,his symptom wasn’t relieved and later the percutaneous lung biopsy found trophozites of Entamoeba histolytica.After administration of metronidazole,the symptoms of the patient were markedly relieved and the lesions were absorbed.Conclusions:In such cases where patients with pulmonary nodules were in immunodeficiency state and had adequate but ineffective anti-bacterial treatment,Entamoeba histolytica infection could be one of the rare causes.Percutaneous lung biopsy should be recommended and specific dying for parasites should be done when necessary.展开更多
AIM: To determine the predictive factors for early aspiration in liver abscess. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all patients with liver abscess from 1995 to 2004 was performed. Abscess was diagnosed as amebic in ...AIM: To determine the predictive factors for early aspiration in liver abscess. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all patients with liver abscess from 1995 to 2004 was performed. Abscess was diagnosed as amebic in 661 (68%) patients, pyogenic in 200 (21%), indeterminate in 73 (8%) and mixed in 32 (3%). Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine predictive factors for aspiration of liver abscess. RESULTS: A total of 966 patients, 738 (76%) male, mean age 43 ± 17 years, were evaluated: 540 patients responded to medical therapy while adjunctive percutaneous aspiration was performed in 426 patients. Predictive factors for aspiration of liver abscess were: age ≥ 55 years, size of abscess ≥ 5 cm, involvement of both lobes of the liver and duration of symptoms ≥ 7 d. Hospital stay in the aspiration group was relatively longer than in the non aspiration group. Twelve patients died in the aspiration group and this mortality was not statistically significant when compared to the non aspiration group. CONCLUSION: Patients with advanced age, abscess size > 5 cm, both lobes of the liver involvement and duration of symptoms > 7 d were likely to undergo aspiration of the liver abscess, regardless of etiology.展开更多
AIMTo analyze the research activity on liver abscess (LA) and identify the main topic clusters in the area.METHODSWe identified all documents using the medical subject heading “LA” indexed in t...AIMTo analyze the research activity on liver abscess (LA) and identify the main topic clusters in the area.METHODSWe identified all documents using the medical subject heading “LA” indexed in the MEDLINE database between 2001 and 2015. We performed a descriptive bibliometric analysis, characterizing the evolution of scientific activity, the publication types of the documents, the document categories of clinical interest (case reports, clinical trials, evaluation studies, meta-analysis, observational studies, practice guidelines and validation studies) and the geographic distribution of the research. We also carried out an analysis of networks and research clusters in order to identify the main topic areas of research.RESULTSOur search yielded a total of 1278 documents, showing a stable scientific production over the study period and a marked multidisciplinary nature. The research was dominated by case reports (65.9% of the documents analyzed). In terms of geographic distribution, researchers from the United States led in the number of signatures (n = 229), followed by those from Taiwan (n = 185), India (n = 145), Japan (n = 144), South Korea (n = 100), and China (n = 84). With regard to amebic LA, the top-producing countries were India and Mexico (n = 69 each), followed by the United States (n = 29). In the case of pyogenic LA, Taiwan Residents researchers led scientific production (n = 71), followed by the United States (n = 39) and China (n = 29). The most active areas of research in the field are diagnosis via computerized tomography scan, differential diagnosis with regard to liver cancer, treatment with antimicrobial agents, and Klebsiella infections (including bacteremia).CONCLUSIONClinical case reports associated with diagnosis and treatment are the main topic of study, highlighting the importance of this document type in advancing knowledge.展开更多
A 54-year-old man presented with rectal pain and bleeding secondary to ulcerated,necrotic rectal and cecal masses that resembled colorectal carcinoma upon colonoscopy.These masses were later determined to be benign am...A 54-year-old man presented with rectal pain and bleeding secondary to ulcerated,necrotic rectal and cecal masses that resembled colorectal carcinoma upon colonoscopy.These masses were later determined to be benign amebomas caused by invasive Entamoeba histolytica,which regressed completely with medical therapy.In Western countries,the occurrence of invasive protozoan infection with formation of amebomas is very rare and can mistakenly masquerade as a neoplasm.Not surprisingly,there have been very few cases reported of this clinical entity within the United States.Moreover,we report a patient that had an extremely rare occurrence of two synchronous lesions,one involving the rectum and the other situated in the cecum.We review the current literature on the pathogenesis of invasive E.histolytica infection and ameboma formation,as well as management of this rare disease entity at a western medical center.展开更多
文摘Amebic liver abscess(ALA)is still a common problem in the tropical world,where it affects over three-quarters of patients with liver abscess.It is caused by an anaerobic protozoan Entamoeba hystolytica,which primarily colonises the cecum.It is a non-suppurative infection of the liver consisting primarily of dead hepatocytes and cellular debris.People of the male gender,during their reproductive years,are most prone to ALA,and this appears to be due to a poorly mounted immune response linked to serum testosterone levels.ALA is more common in the right lobe of the liver,is strongly associated with alcohol consumption,and can heal without the need for drainage.While majority of ALA patients have an uncomplicated course,a number of complications have been described,including rupture into abdomino-thoracic structures,biliary fistula,vascular thrombosis,bilio-vascular compression,and secondary bacterial infection.Based on clinico-radiological findings,a classification system for ALA has emerged recently,which can assist clinicians in making treatment decisions.Recent research has revealed the role of venous thrombosis-related ischemia in the severity of ALA.Recent years have seen the development and refinement of newer molecular diagnostic techniques that can greatly aid in overcoming the diagnostic challenge in endemic area where serology-based tests have limited accuracy.Metronidazole has been the drug of choice for ALA patients for many years.However,concerns over the resistance and adverse effects necessitate the creation of new,safe,and potent antiamebic medications.Although the indication of the drainage of uncomplicated ALA has become more clear,high-quality randomised trials are still necessary for robust conclusions.Percutaneous drainage appears to be a viable option for patients with ruptured ALA and diffuse peritonitis,for whom surgery represents a significant risk of mortality.With regard to all of the aforementioned issues,this article intends to present an updated review of ALA.
文摘In its classic form,amebic liver abscess(ALA)is a mild disease,which responds dramatically to antibiotics and rarely requires drainage.However,the two other forms of the disease,i.e.,acute aggressive and chronic indolent usually require drainage.These forms of ALA are frequently reported in endemic areas.The acute aggressive disease is particularly associated with serious complications,such as ruptures,secondary infections,and biliary communications.Laboratory parameters are deranged,with signs of organ failure often present.This form of disease is also associated with a high mortality rate,and early drainage is often required to control the disease severity.In the chronic form,the disease is characterized by low-grade symptoms,mainly pain in the right upper quadrant.Ultrasound and computed tomography(CT)play an important role not only in the diagnosis but also in the assessment of disease severity and identification of the associated complications.Recently,it has been shown that CT imaging morphology can be classified into three patterns,which seem to correlate with the clinical subtypes.Each pattern depicts its own set of distinctive imaging features.In this review,we briefly outline the clinical and imaging features of the three distinct forms of ALA,and discuss the role of percutaneous drainage in the management of ALA.
文摘Amebic liver abscesses(ALAs)are the most commonly encountered extraintestinal manifestation of human invasive amebiasis,which results from Entamoeba histolytica(E.histolytica)spreading extraintestinally.Amebiasis can be complicated by liver abscess in 9%of cases,and ALAs led to almost 50000 fatalities worldwide in 2010.Although there have been fewer and fewer cases in the past several years,ALAs remain an important public health problem in endemic areas.E.histolytica causes both amebic colitis and liver abscess by breaching the host’s innate defenses and invading the intestinal mucosa.Trophozoites often enter the circulatory system,where they are filtered in the liver and produce abscesses,and develop into severe invasive diseases such as ALAs.The clinical presentation can appear to be colitis,including upper-right abdominal pain accompanied by a fever in ALA cases.Proper diagnosis requires nonspecific liver imaging as well as detecting anti-E.histolytica antibodies;however,these antibodies cannot be used to distinguish between a previous infection and an acute infection.Therefore,diagnostics primarily aim to use PCR or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect E.histolytica.ALAs can be treated medically,and percutaneous catheter drainage is only necessary in approximately 15%of cases.The indicated treatment is to administer an amebicidal drug(such as tinidazole or metronidazole)and paromomycin or other luminal cysticidal agent for clinical disease.Prognosis is good with almost universal recovery.Establishing which diagnostic methods are most efficacious will necessitate further analysis of similar clinical cases.
文摘Amebic liver abscess is a parasitic disease which is often encountered in tropical countries. A hepatogastric fistula secondary to an amebic liver abscess is a rare complication of this disease and there are only a handful of reported cases in literature. Here we present a case of an amebic liver abscess which was complicated with the development of a hepatogastric fistula. The patient presented with the Jaundice, pain and distension of abdomen. The Jaundice and pain improved partially after he had an episode of brownish black colored increase in frequency of stools for 5 to 6 d. Patient also had ascites and anemia. He was a chronic alcohol drinker. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy performed in view of the above findings. It showed a fistulous opening with bilious secretions along the lesser curvature of the stomach. On imaging multiple liver abscesses seen including one in sub capsular location. The patient was managed conservatively with antiamebic medications along with proton pump inhibitors. The pigtail drainage of the sub capsular abscess was done. The patient improved significantly. The repeat endoscopy performed after about two months showed reduction in fistula size. A review of the literature shows that hepatogastric fistulas can be managed conservatively with medications and drainage, endoscopically with biliary stenting or with surgical excision.
文摘Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been applied in diagnosing amebic liver infection by detecting pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica DNA in liver aspirates. Oligonucleotide primers found to be specific for the gene encoding the 30 kDa molecule of this pathogenic ameba were used in the test. Liver aspirates obtained from 23 patients with amebic liver abscess substantiated by typical clinical manifastation or with very high titres of anti-E histolytica antibedies by ELISA were found to be positive by PCR. Fourteen control samples (3 cases of bacterial liver abscess, I of liver cancer and 10 of other abscess) were all found to be negative to this reaction- The results suggested PCR to be a specific and sensitive tool for diagnosing amebic liver abscess infections.
文摘Naegleria fowleri is a thermophilic,free-living ameba that is commonly known as the“brain-eating ameba.”This parasite invades the central nervous system and causes an acute fulminant infection,which results in a fatal form of primary amebic meningoencephalitis(PAM).Here,we report a case of PAM by an unexpected transmission route.Regrettably,the patient deteriorated swiftly and passed away subsequent to diagnosis,despite our exhaustive efforts.Here,we compiled a summary of 11 cases of PAM survivors who have all been treated with amphotericin,rifampicin and triazoles.Beside this regimen,miltefosine was also used successfully to treat PAM in an adolescent.More precise understanding of the survival rate and contributing factors can be established with further validation on ad-ditional cases.
文摘Background:Primary pulmonary amoeba is very rare and here we report a case of a 68-year-old man presenting with primary pulmonary amoeba after undergoing chemotherapy for lung adenocarcinoma.Case presentation:In October 2016,the man aged 68 was admitted to our hospital because of repeated cough for 8 months and hemoptysis for 1 month.He was diagnosed lung adenocarcinoma and underwent surgery in 2012 without receiving chemotherapy.In March 2016,the patients suffered recurrence of cancer and was treated with chemotherapy.After 2 months of chemotherapy,the patient had consistent cough with white sputum,and chest CT showed a local lung nodule.The physicians suspected that the patient had pulmonary infectious diseases,and he was treated with empirical antibacterial treatment.However,his symptom wasn’t relieved and later the percutaneous lung biopsy found trophozites of Entamoeba histolytica.After administration of metronidazole,the symptoms of the patient were markedly relieved and the lesions were absorbed.Conclusions:In such cases where patients with pulmonary nodules were in immunodeficiency state and had adequate but ineffective anti-bacterial treatment,Entamoeba histolytica infection could be one of the rare causes.Percutaneous lung biopsy should be recommended and specific dying for parasites should be done when necessary.
文摘AIM: To determine the predictive factors for early aspiration in liver abscess. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all patients with liver abscess from 1995 to 2004 was performed. Abscess was diagnosed as amebic in 661 (68%) patients, pyogenic in 200 (21%), indeterminate in 73 (8%) and mixed in 32 (3%). Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine predictive factors for aspiration of liver abscess. RESULTS: A total of 966 patients, 738 (76%) male, mean age 43 ± 17 years, were evaluated: 540 patients responded to medical therapy while adjunctive percutaneous aspiration was performed in 426 patients. Predictive factors for aspiration of liver abscess were: age ≥ 55 years, size of abscess ≥ 5 cm, involvement of both lobes of the liver and duration of symptoms ≥ 7 d. Hospital stay in the aspiration group was relatively longer than in the non aspiration group. Twelve patients died in the aspiration group and this mortality was not statistically significant when compared to the non aspiration group. CONCLUSION: Patients with advanced age, abscess size > 5 cm, both lobes of the liver involvement and duration of symptoms > 7 d were likely to undergo aspiration of the liver abscess, regardless of etiology.
文摘AIMTo analyze the research activity on liver abscess (LA) and identify the main topic clusters in the area.METHODSWe identified all documents using the medical subject heading “LA” indexed in the MEDLINE database between 2001 and 2015. We performed a descriptive bibliometric analysis, characterizing the evolution of scientific activity, the publication types of the documents, the document categories of clinical interest (case reports, clinical trials, evaluation studies, meta-analysis, observational studies, practice guidelines and validation studies) and the geographic distribution of the research. We also carried out an analysis of networks and research clusters in order to identify the main topic areas of research.RESULTSOur search yielded a total of 1278 documents, showing a stable scientific production over the study period and a marked multidisciplinary nature. The research was dominated by case reports (65.9% of the documents analyzed). In terms of geographic distribution, researchers from the United States led in the number of signatures (n = 229), followed by those from Taiwan (n = 185), India (n = 145), Japan (n = 144), South Korea (n = 100), and China (n = 84). With regard to amebic LA, the top-producing countries were India and Mexico (n = 69 each), followed by the United States (n = 29). In the case of pyogenic LA, Taiwan Residents researchers led scientific production (n = 71), followed by the United States (n = 39) and China (n = 29). The most active areas of research in the field are diagnosis via computerized tomography scan, differential diagnosis with regard to liver cancer, treatment with antimicrobial agents, and Klebsiella infections (including bacteremia).CONCLUSIONClinical case reports associated with diagnosis and treatment are the main topic of study, highlighting the importance of this document type in advancing knowledge.
文摘A 54-year-old man presented with rectal pain and bleeding secondary to ulcerated,necrotic rectal and cecal masses that resembled colorectal carcinoma upon colonoscopy.These masses were later determined to be benign amebomas caused by invasive Entamoeba histolytica,which regressed completely with medical therapy.In Western countries,the occurrence of invasive protozoan infection with formation of amebomas is very rare and can mistakenly masquerade as a neoplasm.Not surprisingly,there have been very few cases reported of this clinical entity within the United States.Moreover,we report a patient that had an extremely rare occurrence of two synchronous lesions,one involving the rectum and the other situated in the cecum.We review the current literature on the pathogenesis of invasive E.histolytica infection and ameboma formation,as well as management of this rare disease entity at a western medical center.
