Abstract.
A 71-year-old man presented with the clinical and radiological features of metastatic liver disease but subsequently was found to have multiple liver abscesses caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum. At liver biopsy, pus was aspirated and Fusobacterium necrophorum was isolated from the pus. Serial blood cultures and urine cultures were sterile and negative for Fusobacterium spp. The patient made a complete recovery in response to treatment with penicillin and amoxicillin. This case illustrates the importance of liver abscesses as an uncommon but completely treatable differential diagnosis for the radiological appearances of multiple hepatic lesions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Rubin RH, Swartz MN, Malt R (1974) Hepatic abscess: changes in clinical, bacteriologic and therapeutic aspects. Am J Med 57:601–610
Greenstein AJ, Lowenthal D, Hammer GS, Schaffner F, Aufsus AH (1984) Continuing changing patterns of disease in pyogenic liver abscess: a study of 38 patients. Am J Gastroenterol 79:217–226
Hagelskajaer L, Pedersen G (1993) Fusobacterium necrophorum septicemia complicated by liver abscess. APMIS 101:904–906
Alston JM (1955) Necrobacillosis in Great Britain. BMJ 2:1524–1528
Friedl J, Stift A, Berlakovich GA, Taucher S, Gnant M, Steininger R, Muhlbacher F (1998) Haemophilus parainfluenzae liver abscess after successful liver transplantation. J Clin Microbiol 36:818–819
Palmer ED (1975) The changing manifestations of pyogenic liver abscess. JAMA 231:192
Sabbaj J, Sutter VL, Finegold SM (1972) Anaerobic pyogenic liver abscess. Ann Intern Med 77:629–638
Finegold SM (1991) Anaerobic gram-negative bacilli. In: Baron S (ed) Medical microbiology. Churchill Livingstone, London, pp 303–315
Henry S, De Maria A, McCabe WR (1983) Bacteremia due to Fusobacterium species. Am J Med 75:225–231
Moore-Gillon J, Lee TH, Eykyn SJ, Phillips I (1984) Necrobacillosis: a forgotten disease. BMJ 288:1526–1527
Crippin JS, Wang KK (1992) An unrecognised etiology of pyogenic hepatic abscesses in normal hosts: dental disease. Am J Gastroenterol 7:1740–1743
Scoular A, Corcoran GD, Malin A, Evans BA, Davies A, Miller RF (1992) Fusobacterium nucleatum septicaemia with multiple liver abscesses in an HIV-1 antibody-positive man with IgG2 deficiency. J Infect 24:321–325
Young EJ, Harper WK, Taylor RL (1977) Hepatic necrobacillosis. Arch Intern Med 137:804–807
Indik JH, Masters L (1998) What appears to be a cancer. Arch Intern Med 158:1374–1377
Acknowledgements
The authors thank J. Barber for technical help and O. Kozun for secretarial services.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Athavale, N.V., Leitch, D.G. & Cowling, P. Liver Abscesses due to Fusobacterium spp. that Mimick Malignant Metastatic Liver Disease. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 21, 884–886 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-002-0844-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-002-0844-8