Percutaneous treatment of an intrahepatic abscess caused by a penetrating duodenal ulcer

Liver Involvement by Perforated Peptic Ulcer: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Liver penetration by a confined perforation of peptic ulcer is a rare but severe event. Its clinical and pathological features are unclear.

METHODS

In total, 41 qualified English publications were identified using the PubMed database and one in-house case.

RESULTS

Among the 42 patients, 20 patients had liver involvement by a perforated duodenal ulcer and 22 by a gastric ulcer. Among the 23 cases of known ulcer histology, 2 ulcers were malignant and were adenocarcinomas in the gastric remnant and the remaining 21 ulcers were confirmed as histologically benign (for frequency of malignancy in duodenal versus gastric ulcers, p = 0.48). The presence of hepatocytes was the clue of diagnosis for 19 cases. The median ages of the patients were 64.5 years (95% Confidence Intervals [CI] 53.40-71.90) for duodenal ulcer and 65.5 years (95% CI: 59.23-70.95) for gastric ulcer, respectively. The male to female ratio was 1.5:1 for duodenal ulcers and 2:1 for gastric ulcers. Patients with liver involvement of a perforated gastric ulcer were more likely to have a larger ulcer (median largest dimension, 4.75 cm versus 2.5 cm, p = 0.014). Female patients with liver involvement of a gastric ulcer were older than male patients (median age 72 versus 60 years, p = 0.045). There were no differences in gender, region (Asia, Europe, America versus others), use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (n = 15), H. Pylori positivity (n = 10), possible history of peptic ulcer disease (n = 19) or mortality (n = 32) between duodenal and gastric ulcers.

CONCLUSIONS

Careful histologic examination, clinicopathological correlation, and immunohistochemistry are critical to establish the diagnosis and avoid misdiagnosing liver involvement as malignancy.

[Liver Abscess Secondary to Perforation after Duodenal Endoscopic Resection]

Duodenal perforation is a complication of endoscopic mucosal resection. Liver abscess secondary to iatrogenic perforation is extremely rare. A 43-year-old female visited the hospital to remove a sub-epithelial tumor on the duodenal bulb. After endoscopic mucosal resection with band ligation, duodenal perforation occurred. Endoscopic closure was performed successfully using a clipping device to manage duodenal perforation. After 4 weeks, the patient visited our outpatient clinic due to abdominal pain and fever. Abdominal computed tomography showed liver abscess that involved segment three. Liver abscess was resolved with a 10-week antibiotic treatment. To the best of our knowledge, no case of liver abscess secondary to duodenal perforation by endoscopic resection was reported to date in Korea. Here, we report a case of liver abscess caused by a duodenal perforation after endoscopic mucosal resection.

[A case of subcapsular liver abscess secondary to perforating ulcer of gastric cancer]

Intrahepatic abscess is an unusual complication of peptic ulcer disease. We present a case of gastric cancer in which the ulcer penetrated into the left lobe of liver with subsequent abscess and fistula formation. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy confirmed ulcers and a fistula opening in the antrum. Abdominal computed tomogram showed a subcapsular liver abscess adjacent to the gastric antrum. Subtotal gastrectomy with curettage of the fistulous tract was performed. The final diagnosis was the signet ring cell gastric carcinoma complicating subcapsular liver abscess. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case in Korea.

Penetrating Gastric Ulcer Presenting as a Subcapsular Liver Abscess

This report describes a subcapsular liver abscess secondary to a penetrating gastric ulcer. The initial read on the CT scan misinterpreted the abscess cavity as an opacified loop of bowel, although it was very conspicuous on a retrospective review. A penetrating gastric ulcer was identified with esophagogastroduodenoscopy and the subcapsular liver abscess was subsequently detected using MRI. Although the conventional treatment of this condition is surgery, successful management was accomplished with a combination of percutaneous drainage, Helicobacter pylori eradication, and acid-suppressive therapy. A review of the literature is provided, including associated cases and the diagnostic modalities used in the evaluation of this condition. This case illustrates how one can arrive at the correct diagnosis with the use of multiple complementary modalities of investigation.

Duodenal ulceration into the cystic artery

We report two cases of massive gastrointestinal bleeding due to anterior duodenal ulceration into the cystic artery, with gallbladder infarction as a complication. These cases indicate the potential dangers of laser therapy or embolization in bleeding anterior duodenal ulcers penetrating the cystic artery, as such therapy will arrest blood flow through the cystic artery and may precipitate gallbladder infarction.