Objectives:

To evaluate the efficacy of 2 week vs. 4 week antibiotic treatment in percutaneously drained liver abscess.

Methods:

This prospective randomised controlled study was conveyed on patients with limited number of pyogenic liver abscess (<3), which can be drained by percutaneous techniques, and infected cyst hydatid. The diagnosis was confirmed by USG, CT, Gram-stain examination and cultivation of drainage sample. Co-exixtance with biliary obstruction and primary amoebic liver abscess were exclusion criteria. All patients received ceftriaxone (1 g b.i.d) + metranidazol (500 mg q.i.d). In the first arm of the study (n: 5), therapy was continued for 4 weeks, in the second arm (n: 7), therapy was discontinued at the end of the second week. Failure was defined as inadequate drainage, responsiveness to therapy, microbial resistance and need for open surgical intervention. Repeat ultrasonographies were performed at 48, 96 h after drainage procedure, 1, 3, 9 and 12 months, thereafter. All of the patients were followed-up for at least 12 months.

Results:

The groups were comparable regarding to the number, diameter, and localisation of abscesses. All of the patients except one were male. The duration of illness and convalescence period did not differ between groups. The fever subsided after percutaneous drainage and antibiotic therapy, and subsidence did not differ between groups. The cure rate was %100 in all of the patients.

Conclusions:

Despite the limited number of patients in the study, it can be concluded that, 2 week period of antibiotic treatment is effective as much as 4 week period, in adjunctive antibiotic of pyogenic liver abscesses which are drained percutaneously.