Ultrasonographic resolution time for amebic liver abscess

Abstract

Hepatic ultrasonography not only can be used to detect amebic liver abscess, but can follow its resolution. Twenty-five patients with 32 abscesses had hepatic sonography performed repeatedly. Sonography clearly demonstrated abscesses of 1-22 cm; 19 patients (76%) had abscesses only in the right lobe of the liver, and 22 (88%) had solitary abscesses. Resolution time ranged from 2 months for the smallest abscess to 20 months for the largest. Four abscesses initially had a heterogenous partially solidified pattern. All abscesses healed completely, leaving normal hepatic sonographic patterns.