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Review
. 2007 Mar 7;13(9):1466-70.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i9.1466.

Hepatic abscess induced by foreign body: case report and literature review

Sofia A Santos  1 , Sara C F Alberto, Elsa Cruz, Eduardo Pires, Tomás Figueira, Elia Coimbra, José Estevez, Mário Oliveira, Luís Novais, João R Deus
Affiliations
Review

Hepatic abscess induced by foreign body: case report and literature review

Sofia A Santos et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Hepatic abscess due to perforation of the gastrointestinal tract caused by ingested foreign bodies is uncommon. Pre-operative diagnosis is difficult as patients are often unaware of the foreign body ingestion and symptoms and imagiology are usually non-specific. The authors report a case of 62-year-old woman who was admitted with fever and abdominal pain. Further investigation revealed hepatic abscess, without resolution despite antibiotic therapy. A liver abscess resulting from perforation and intra-hepatic migration of a bone coming from the pilorum was diagnosed by surgery. The literature concerning foreign body-induced perforation of the gastrointestinal tract complicated by liver abscess is reviewed.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Contrast en-hanced CT scan showing a low-density area with gas and fluid, measuring approximately 8.5 cm x 7.0 cm, consistent with left-sided intra-hepatic abscess.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Abdominal RM demonstrating a large collection with gas and fluid.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Biopsy of the liver abscess showing fibrosis, fibrin and acute inflammatory cells, consistent with abscess wall (HE).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Upper GI endoscopy revealing a thickened gastric fold (pre-pyloric).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Removed foreign body (chicken bone, with 3.3 cm x 0.5 cm).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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