The symptoms of an amebic abscess of the liver simulating an acute surgical abdomen

Amebic abscess of the liver has protean manifestations that often resemble causes of an acute surgical abdomen. Patients presenting at University of California, Los Angeles Hospital with acute abdominal injuries who underwent exploratory laparotomy and subsequently were found to have an amebic hepatic abscess were studied. There are various clinical symptoms of amebic hepatic abscess as well as problems of differentiating this pathologic entity from an acute surgical abdomen. Most patients with amebic hepatic abscess that mimics an acute abdomen present as acute cholecystitis or acute appendicitis. All patients recovered uneventfully once the diagnosis was made and appropriate therapy instituted. The salient features of the history, physical examination and laboratory data than can identify the amebic abscess were analyzed. The key to correct diagnosis is cognizance of the condition.