Open surgical drainage for hepatic amebic abscess.

Abstract

Of all the complications of amebiasis, amebic liver abscess is the commonest and most serious as regards mortality and morbidity. For many years the consensus has been that amebic abscess of the liver should be treated medically because of the unusually high mortality associated with this condition. Kean,1in 1953, reported on six patients at Halloran General Hospital with amebic liver abscess treated with emetine and chloroquine diphosphate without recourse to surgery. Spellberg,2as recently as 1954, said Surgical drainage is inadvisable because of its higher mortality and morbidity owing to secondary infection. He advised that only those cases with demonstrable secondary infection, with multiple abscesses, and with solitary left-lobed abscesses be considered as suitable candidates for open surgical drainage. After a thorough review and study of the problem, Jordon3suggested that these original ideas regarding open surgical drainage be revised. His paper reviews the most recent