Pylephlebitis: a case report and review of outcome in the antibiotic era

Abstract

Pylephlebitis or septic thrombophlebitis of the portal vein, a precursor of hepatic abscesses, is an extremely rare and frequently fatal complication of diverticulitis. The following report describes a patient presenting with pylephlebitis and complicated diverticulitis. Diagnosis was confirmed by computed tomography. The patient had a favorable outcome with medical and surgical therapy, prompting us to evaluate historical treatment of pylephlebitis.