Emphysematous liver abscess with Edwardsiella tarda infection

Abstract

This report presents the case of a 51-year-old woman on an immunosuppressant drug and steroids, who presented with general fatigue and was admitted to the intensive care unit. Her serum procalcitonin, lactate, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase levels and white blood cell counts were elevated. Computed tomography revealed gas formation in her liver, and her culture results revealed Edwardsiella tarda and Escherichia coli infections. She underwent percutaneous transhepatic abscess drainage in addition to antimicrobial administration. She was discharged after 40 days. Cases of emphysematous liver abscess with Edwardsiella tarda infections are rarely reported in the literature and may present in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. The fatality rate associated with the condition is markedly high.

Keywords

• Anaerobic bacterium
• Computed tomography
• Diabetes mellitus
• Edwardsiella tarda
• Immunocompromised host
• Liver abscess