Author(s)

Coulibaly Yacaria, Amadou Issa, Keita Mamby, Diaby Souleymane Gaoussou, Konaté Madiassa, Diallo Gangaly

Department of Pediatric Surgeon, University Hospital of Gabriel Touré, Bamako, Mali.

Purpose: To determine diagnostic and therapeutic problems of pyogenic liver abscess in our hospital. Method and material: We conducted a retrospective study from January 2006 to December 2010 of all children aged from 0 - 15 years admitted and treated for pyogenic liver abscesses. Amoebic liver abscesses and other hepatobiliary disorders were not considered. Results: Pyogenic abscesses accounted for 50 cases. The mean age of patients at presentation was 2.4 ± 0.78 years (range from 6 months to 15 years). Sex ratio was 2.8 for boys. Abdominal pain was the primary reason for consultation in 27 cases (54%). Fever has been noted in 42 patients (84%) and the patient general state was altered in 13 patients (26%). Escherishia coli was the most frequent bacteria found at pus. The pus was sterile in 25 cases (50%). The ultrasonographic percutaneous drainage was performed in 33 patients (66%), open surgery in 6 (12%) and antibiotics alone in 11 others (22%). The short outcomes were simple in 36 patients (72%) while pain and fever persisted in 12 others (24%). Two patients (4%) died from sepsis soon after the operating room. Improving the frequency of early diagnosis will depend on education of clinicians about the need for clinical suspicion aided by ultrasound.

Pyogenic Liver Abscess; Children; Diagnosis; Treatment; Mali

Yacaria, C. , Issa, A. , Mamby, K. , Gaoussou, D. , Madiassa, K. and Gangaly, D. (2013) Pyogenic liver abscess in children: Diagnosis and treatment at the teaching hospital Gabriel Touré, Bamako, Mali. Open Journal of Pediatrics, 3, 45-48. doi: 10.4236/ojped.2013.32009.