Computed tomographic colonography is valuable for post-treatment evaluation and screening of hidden colorectal cancer in patients with cryptogenic pyogenic liver abscess

The aura of malignant tumor: Clinical analysis of malignant tumor-related pyogenic liver abscess

The global incidence of pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) is increasing, but related reports of malignant tumor-related PLA are infrequent. Potential malignant tumors of PLA have been reported, but there is no relevant predictive model for this subsection of patients.To explore the risk factors of malignant tumor-related PLA.A retrospective analysis about a total of 881 patients who had been diagnosed with PLA from January 2005 to May 2018 was performed. The incidence of malignant tumor-related PLA in the study was 9.99% (88/881) out of all PLA cases. And that of potential malignant tumors with PLA was 4.65% (41/881). There were 62 patients with malignant tumor-related PLA in the observation group, while 146 cases without malignant tumor-related PLA were considered as control group. The data from 52 cases of malignant tumor and nonmalignant tumor-related PLA was verified.The malignant tumor type was mainly hepatobiliary malignant tumor, which occupies 72.3% (45/62) in all malignant tumor related PLA cases used to the model. Compared with nonmalignant tumor group, the rate of ineffective and mortality was higher in the malignant tumor group [19.4%(12/62) vs 7.5%(11/148), P = .01]. Multivariate analysis suggested that hepatobiliary interventional therapy or surgery, hepatitis B virus infection, multiple abscesses, portal embolism, and bile duct dilatation were independent risk factors for potential malignant tumors within the patients who combined with PLA.PLA could be considered as an early warning sign of potential malignant tumors. Malignant tumor-related PLA had a poor prognosis. Patients with PLA who have more than one independent risk factor or logit(P) > -1.694 may be considered as the high risk group for potential hepatobiliary or colorectal malignant tumors.

Prevalence of colorectal cancer in cryptogenic pyogenic liver abscess patients. Do they need screening colonoscopy? A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Cryptogenic pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) could result due to compromised colonic mucosal barrier in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Association of PLA and CRC is unclear. Evidence is weak and limited to small sized studies. As a result, the need for colonoscopy in PLA patients is debatable.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive search of multiple electronic databases and conference proceedings (from inception through January 2019) to identify studies that reported on the prevalence of CRC in PLA patients. Our goals were to evaluate the pooled rate of CRC in patients with cryptogenic PLA.

RESULTS

12 studies were included in the analysis. 18,607 patients were diagnosed with PLA in study group and 60,130 patients were in control group. 63% were males in the age range of 56-94 years. 90.5% of the colonic lesions were left sided and 93.1% were positive for Klebsiella pneumoniae. The pooled rate of prevalence of CRC was 7.9% (95% CI (confidence interval) 5-12.1, I² = 92.4, relative risk = 6.6) in patients with PLA, as compared to 1.2% (95% CI 0.3-5.7, I² = 93.4) in control, with statistical significance (p = 0.001 respectively).

CONCLUSION

Our study, albeit limited by heterogeneity, demonstrates that patients with cryptogenic PLA are at a 7-fold risk of having CRC. A screening colonoscopy may be considered in population with cryptogenic PLA, especially if positive for K. pneumoniae. Well-conducted studies are needed to answer this question.

Recent upper gastrointestinal panendoscopy increases the risk of pyogenic liver abscess

AIM

To investigate the association between a recent gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy and the subsequent risk of pyogenic liver abscess (PLA).

METHODS

We designed a nested case control study. Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, 2135 patients with a first diagnosis of PLA were identified from 1998 to 2011. Another 10675 patients without PLA matched by age and sex were selected as reference controls. We identified and compared the possible risk factors for PLA and GI endoscopies performed before the index date (when PLA was diagnosed) between the two cohorts. Multivariate analysis was conducted to examine the risk of PLA within the 90 d after the GI endoscopies.

RESULTS

Patients with a history of diabetes [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 4.92, 95%CI: 1.78-13.61], end-stage renal disease (aOR = 3.98, 95%CI: 1.45-10.91), biliary tract infection (aOR = 2.68, 95%CI: 2.11-3.40), liver cirrhosis (aOR = 2.19, 95%CI: 1.39-3.46), GI malignancies (aOR = 5.68, 95%CI: 4.23-7.64), appendicitis (aOR = 3.16, 95%CI: 2.27-4.41), diverticulitis (aOR = 1.64, 95%CI: 1.01-2.64), and recent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (aOR = 27.04, 95%CI: 11.65-62.72) were significantly associated with an increased risk of PLA. After adjusting for the above risk factors and the frequency of outpatient department visits and abdominal ultrasounds during 90 d before the index date, an upper GI panendoscopy (aOR = 2.75, 95%CI: 2.05-3.69) but not a lower GI endoscopy (aOR = 1.07, 95%CI: 0.62-1.86) was significantly associated with PLA.

CONCLUSION

An upper GI panendoscopy performed before 90 d may increase the risk of PLA.