Pyogenic liver abscess in a child with concomitant infections – Staphylococcus aureus, Echinococcus multilocularis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Abstract

Pyogenic liver abscess is an uncommon but important and potentially life-threatening disease that occurs whenever there is failure of clearance of an infection in the liver. Work presents a rare case of pyogenic liver abscess with confirmed bacterial aetiology of Staphylococcus aureus, subsequently confirmed Echinococcus multilocularis and suspected Mycobacterium tuberculosis liver infection in 6 years old child. Moreover, several other parasitic diseases were recorded. According to clinical presentation of diseases, it could be supposed that liver impairment caused by alveolar echinococcosis and potentially also by M. tuberculosis could be the predisposition site for the capture of Staphylococcus aureus in altered liver tissues during its haematogenous spreading, and thus contributed to the development and subsequent clinical presentation of pyogenic liver abscess. The presence of three different aetiological agents complicated the diagnostic process as well as the therapy of the patient and made her prognosis uncertain. Proper diagnosis of multiloculated liver abscesses, with echinococcosis and hepatic tuberculosis considered in the differential diagnosis, is therefore crucial to administration of early and appropriate treatment.

Keywords

• pyogenic liver abscess
• staphylococcus aureus
• echinococcus multilocularis
• mycobacterium tuberculosis