Yeungnam Univ J Med.  2015 Jun;32(1):38-41. 10.12701/yujm.2015.32.1.38.

Liver abscess and septic complications associated with advanced gastric cancer

• Youn GJ
• Choi Y
• Kim MJ
• Lee JS
• Ko UW
• Joo YH

• KMID: 2138642
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2015.32.1.38

Abstract

Pyogenic liver abscess with metastatic septic complications is a rare and serious infectious disease if not treated properly. Pyogenic liver abscesses are caused by bacterial, fungal, or parasitic organisms. Escherichia coli used to be the predominant causative agent, but Klebsiella pneumoniae emerged as a major cause in the 1990s. Liver abscesses are caused by hepatic invasion via many routes, such as, the biliary tree, portal vein, hepatic artery, direct extension, or penetrating trauma. Furthermore, diabetes mellitus and malignant conditions are established important risk factors of K. pneumoniae liver abscesses and of septic metastasis, and several recent studies have asserted that K. pneumoniae liver abscess might be a presentation of occult or silent colon cancer. We report a case of K. pneumoniae liver abscess, metastatic septic pulmonary embolism, and endophthalmitis associated with diabetes and advanced gastric cancer.

Keyword

Pyogenic liver abscess; Septic pulmonary embolism; Septic endophthalmitis; Advanced gastric cancer

MeSH Terms

Biliary Tract
Colonic Neoplasms
Communicable Diseases
Diabetes Mellitus
Endophthalmitis
Escherichia coli
Hepatic Artery
Klebsiella pneumoniae
Liver Abscess*
Liver Abscess, Pyogenic
Neoplasm Metastasis
Pneumonia
Portal Vein
Pulmonary Embolism
Risk Factors
Stomach Neoplasms*