100 Grapevine Hwy Hurst TX 76054

Liver Abscess Treatment in Hurst, TX

Liver Abscess in Hurst, TX

Your liver is a powerhouse of protection. It tirelessly filters toxins from your blood, so keeping it free of infection is crucial.

A liver abscess—also known as a hepatic abscess—is an accumulation of pus in the liver caused by bacteria, fungi, or parasites. The abscess may either be a single or solitary abscess, or multiple lesions of various shapes and sizes, ranging from a few millimeters to several centimeters.

Pyogenic abscess is the most common type of liver abscess, and about 8-15 per 100,000 people in the U.S. develop them each year.3 Although not a common condition, hepatic abscess can become fatal unless the infection is treated with antibiotics or the pus inside the abscess is surgically drained.

To prevent these severe complications eat a healthy diet that includes fruit, vegetables, whole-grain breads, low-fat dairy products, beans, lean meat and fish, while avoiding processed foods, sugar and alcohol. Those who stop smoking, exercise regularly, and manage stress, significantly lower their risk of all liver disorders, including live abscess.

To find an Hurst liver abscess treatment specialist, call (817) 203-2760 or contact The New You Medical & Infusion Clinic online.

What are the symptoms of liver abscess?

Liver abscess symptoms may take two to four weeks to appear and can include:

  • pain on the right upper part of your abdomen (though many patients do not have pain)
  • fever
  • chills
  • night sweats
  • loss of appetite
  • nausea and vomiting
  • weight loss
  • cough
  • weakness
  • general discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling (malaise)
  • trouble breathing
  • jaundice
  • diarrhea

A common complication of liver abscesses is sepsis . Other complications include:

  • the pus rupturing into the abdominal cavity, spreading to the lungs or the sac around the heart
  • pus gathering in the area between the lungs and the inner surface of the chest wall (empyema)
  • bacterium causing a clot in lung arteries (septic pulmonary embolism)
  • brain abscess
  • eye infection (endophthalmitis)
  • ruptured bowel (bowel perforation)
  • peritonitis
  • internal bleeding

Treating any abdominal infection can reduce the likelihood of pyogenic liver abscess. When traveling in tropical countries with poor sanitation, protect yourself from amebic abscesses by drinking purified water and not eating uncooked vegetables or unpeeled fruit.

What causes liver abscesses?

Different types of liver abscesses have different causes:

  • pyogenic: caused by bacteria; accounts for about 80% of all cases3
  • amebic: caused by the Entamoeba histolytica parasite; accounts for 10% of all liver abscesses3
  • fungal: this is caused by fungi, especially yeast like Candida albicans2

Pyogenic abscesses

Bacteria that commonly cause liver abscesses are E. coli, K. pneumoniae, S. aureus, and streptococci. These bacteria can reach the liver through the portal vein or artery, bile duct, nearby organs, and through the abdominal walls.

Conditions that can lead to a pyogenic abscess include:

Diabetics are highly susceptible to infection, and 3.6 times more likely to develop a pyogenic liver abscess. A study of a 69-year-old man also argues that bacteremia from an acupuncture treatment can find its way into the liver and cause a pyogenic abscess.3

Amebic abscesses

Amebic abscesses are caused by a parasite called Entamoeba histolytica, most commonly found in Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and India. This parasite causes an intestinal infection called amebiasis or amebic dysentery, and may be carried from the intestines to the liver via the bloodstream. You can ingest the parasite via food or water contaminated with feces, or through contact with an infected person.

Risk factors for amebic hepatic abscess include:

  • being male
  • being 20-45 years old
  • alcoholism
  • cancer
  • immunosuppression, including HIV/AIDS infection
  • malnutrition
  • pregnancy
  • steroid use
  • chemotherapy

Fungal abscesses

Fungal liver abscesses may occur in individuals that have:

  • prolonged exposure to antimicrobials
  • cancers that form in blood-forming tissue (hematologic malignancies)
  • solid-organ transplants
  • a weak immune system

Surgical procedures like endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (endoscopy of your bile ducts) or a cholecystectomy (surgical removal of the gallbladder), may also present risk of fungal liver abscess.2

Liver abscess diagnosis

Imaging tests used for a liver abscess diagnosis include:

  • x-rays
  • liver scan
  • ultrasound
  • computerized tomography (CT) scan
  • magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

A liver scan (injecting radioisotope into a vein) can enable more detailed computer imaging. Taking a sample of the abscess pus with a needle (liver abscess aspiration) is also effective.

Blood tests can identify the presence of infection in your body or signs of infectious inflammation, like an increased serum white blood count and neutrophil level. Amebic abscesses can be detected with blood or stool tests for amebiasis.

Liver abscess treatment

As with any medical procedure, results of surgery will vary from patient to patient depending on age, genetics, general health, condition severity, follow-up care, and environmental factors. Consult your healthcare provider before embarking on your treatment journey.

Proper antibiotic treatment and adequate drainage is essential. The choice of treatment of pyogenic hepatic abscesses depends largely on the source and characteristics and the patient's specific condition.

Typically, both antibiotic therapy and adequate drainage are required for the treatment of pyogenic liver abscesses. Drainage can be achieved either surgically; conventional open or laparoscopic, or percutaneously (via needle skin puncture). In extreme cases, the entire abscess may be removed.

Medications, delivered orally or intravenously, can treat abscess infection. The most common drugs used for liver abscess treatment are antibiotics, which target the bacteria. Antifungal medications like amphotericin B can treat fungal liver abscesses.4

Anesthetic risk of the patient, the presence or absence of a coexisting primary abdominal conditions, the success rate of the procedure, and the healthcare provider’s expertise should always be considered in selecting the choice of therapy.

Request Your Appointment Now

A liver abscess may not cause symptoms immediately, but can cause serious complications. To find a liver specialist in Hurst, call (817) 203-2760 or contact The New You Medical & Infusion Clinic online.


Sources:

1. Lübbert, Christoph, Johannes Wiegand, and Thomas Karlas. “Therapy of Liver Abscesses.” Viszeralmedizin 30.5 (2014): 334–341. PMC. Web. 10 Sept. 2018.

2. Hasan, Sundas, and Robert Fearn. “Fungal liver abscess in an immunocompetent patient who underwent repeated ERCPs and subtotal cholecystectomy.” BMJ Case Reports (2018): n. pag.Web. 12 Sept. 2018.

3. Choi, Eun Jung et al. “Pyogenic Liver Abscess Following Acupuncture and Moxibustion Treatment.” Korean Journal of Family Medicine 34.5 (2013): 364–368. PMC. Web. 10 Sept. 2018.

4. PA, Lipsett, et al. “Fungal hepatic abscesses: Characterization and management.” J Gastrointest Surg 1.1 (1997): 78-84. Web. 12 Sept. 2018.

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The New You Medical & Infusion Clinic
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Address

100 Grapevine Hwy
Hurst, TX 76054
(817) 203-2760
https://www.newyoumedclinic.com/

Hours

Mon: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Tue: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Wed: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Thu: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Fri: Closed
Sat: Closed
Sun: Closed

Areas We Service:

Tarrant County, TX, DFW, TX, Las Colinas, TX, Carrollton, TX, Dallas, TX, Irving, TX, Richardson, TX, Sunnyvale, TX, Frisco, TX, Roanoke, TX, Weatherford, TX, Arlington, TX, Bedford, TX, Colleyville, TX, Euless, TX, Fort Worth, TX, Grapevine, TX, Haltom City, TX, Keller, TX, North Richland Hills, TX, Southlake, TX, Watauga, TX