Medium urgency
-Moderately severe
It is an accumulation of pus in the liver, caused by an infection by an intestinal parasite called Entamoeba histolytica.
The parasite is contracted by drinking contaminated water or foods with traces of faecal matter.
It manifests as abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant, fever and general malaise.
Diagnosis is clinical and through clinical questioning and physical examination. Blood tests and imaging tests of the liver (ultrasound or CT-scan) will be performed to confirm it.
It must be treated early with systemic antibiotics and antiparasitic drugs which act in the intestinal lumen.
- Karin Leder, Peter F Weller. Extraintestinal Entamoeba histolytica amebiasis. UpToDate, Jun 30, 2016.
- Haque R, Huston CD, Hughes M, et al. Amebiasis. N Engl J Med 2003; 348:1565.
- Stanley SL Jr. Amoebiasis. Lancet 2003; 361:1025.
- Pritt BS, Clark CG. Amebiasis. Mayo Clin Proc 2008; 83:1154.
Dr. Oscar Garcia-Esquirol
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