Liver Abscess Caused by Klebsiella Pneumoniae, Series of Cases with Different Management

We present two cases of liver abscess caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae with different management, one of them resolved under antibiotherapy without theraputic drainage. Klebsiella pneumoniae is a gram-negative, lactose-fermenting, rod-shaped bacterium that is part of natural intestinal flora and one of the common causes of nosocomial infections. The liver is one of the viscera in which abscesses frequently occur and is associated with intraabdominal or hepatobiliary diseases.

The first patient was admitted to „Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu” Hospital with sepsis due to liver abcess. The CT examination revealed a liver lesion in segments VI-VII, limited by a hypodense margin with fluid-parafluid content (with maximal axial diameters 54/32 mm), without any other focal hepatic lesions. Laboratory workup revealed neutrophilia and lymphopenia, anemia, trombocytopenia, increased inflammatory syndrome, a high level of procalcitonin and blood cultures positives with Klebsiella pneumoniae sensitive. Based on the information presented, the diagnosis established was liver abscess caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae with favorable outcome under initial empirical antibiotherapy with Vancomycin and Meropenem, de-escalated later to I.V. Ceftriaxone, due to the result of the antibiogram. At the 14 day mark, an abdominal CT reveals a slight dimentional progression. Percutaneous ecographic guided drainage was considered but the patient denied it.The patient was released with the antibiotherapy recomandation of 14 more days of orally administered Cefixime. After 4 weeks of antibiotherapy treatment, the patient is ecographically reassesed. The liver abscess is observed to have achieved complete remission without drainage, despite the classical literature recommended protocol.

The second case, a male patient admitted with sepsis due to multiple liver abscess (the largest one 100/50 mm with negative blood cultures and unfavorable outcome, despite maximal empirical therapy. Percutaneous ecographic guided drainage was performed and Klebsiella pneumoniae was isolated from the drainage samples .Under target antibiotherapy with Ertapenem for 4 weeks the outcome was very good with complete resolution of the hepatic lesions.

Hepatic abscess is associated with a high mortality rate and several complications, despite its low incidence. Prompt recognition is important for effective management and achieving good outcomes. Usually, the liver abscess is treated by either percutaneous drainage or surgical drainage in combination with antibiotics.The key to succesful outcomes is early diagnosis, institution of appropriate therapy and attentive evolution monitoring.More prospective trials with large cohorts are needed to refine our understanding of this serious condition.