Amebic liver abscess - Treatment

Alternative Names

Hepatic amebiasis; Extraintestinal amebiasis; Abscess - amebic liver

Treatment:

Antibiotics such as metronidazole (Flagyl) or tinidazole (Tindamax) are the usual treatment for liver abscess. A medication such as paromomycin or diloxanide must also be taken to get rid of all the amoebas in the intestine, to prevent the disease from coming back. This treatment can usually be delayed until after the abscess has been treated.

In rare cases, the abscess may need to be drained to relieve some of the abdominal pain.

Expectations (prognosis):

Without treatment, the abscess may break open (rupture) and spread into other organs, leading to death. People who are treated have a very high chance of a complete cure or only minor complications.

Complications:

The abscess may rupture into the abdominal cavity, the lining of the lungs, the lungs, or the sac around the heart. The infection can also spread to the brain.

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if you develop symptoms of this disease, especially if you've recently traveled to an area where the disease is known to occur.

Liver cell death

Reviewed last on: 6/9/2011
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Donnelly JP, Blijlevens NMA, DePauw BE. Entamoeba species including amebiasis. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Disease. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2009:chap 273.

Neuschwander-Tetri BA. Bacterial, parasitic, fungal, and granulomatous liver disease. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 155.

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