Case Presentation: A 26 year-old Singaporean man with no past medical history presented with two weeks of fevers and abdominal pain. Five months prior to admission, the patient traveled to Singapore.  Two weeks prior to presentation, he had an episode of sharp, right-sided abdominal pain accompanied by emesis.  He continued to have intermittent fevers, chills, headaches, abdominal pain, and weight loss. On presentation, he was febrile to 102.9F, with heart rate of 115 beats/minute. Physical exam was notable for mild hepatomegaly. Blood tests demonstrated AST 71, ALT 128, alkaline phosphatase 116, total bilirubin 1.2, INR 1.5, and WBC 17.4 with 89% neutrophils. Abdominal CT scan revealed hepatomegaly with multiple liver mass lesions demonstrating both solid and cystic components, the largest of which measured 7.6 x 4.6 cm, as well as lobular wall thickening of the appendix. The patient was treated with ceftriaxone 2g daily and metronidazole 500mg three times daily, and underwent IR-guided drainage of the liver lesions and a laparoscopic appendectomy. Cultures from the blood and abscesses remained negative, but the IR-guided drainage returned purulent fluid and the appendix pathology revealed inflammation consistent with subacute appendicitis with possible diverticulum versus healing abscess. Antibiotics were continued and symptoms resolved.

Discussion:

We present the case of a young, healthy Singaporean man who developed pyogenic liver abscesses (PLA) in the setting of appendicitis. Liver abscesses are most frequently caused by biliary disease, but can be secondary to diverticulitis, appendicitis, perforated ulcers or malignancies, and inflammatory bowel disease. PLA secondary to appendicitis is rare, and most cases are associated with liver abscess formation following treatment of a perforated, gangrenous, or phlegmonous appendicitis. Unique to this case is that the appendix was only notable for a possible healing abscess; and further, that the appendicitis and liver abscesses were diagnosed and managed concomitantly. Historically, E. Coli has been the predominant cause of PLA, though Klebsiella pneumoniae is emerging as the causative agent in a large proportion of liver abscess cases in Asia, and a rapidly growing number in the United States as well. A common risk factor for klebsiella liver abscesses is poorly controlled diabetes; other risk factors include cholelithiasis, malignancy, and prior intra-abdominal surgery. Our patient did not have any of these, and was younger than the majority of patients in the literature. Klebsiella liver abscesses present with similar symptoms and lab abnormalities to other bacterial liver abscesses, though with milder alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin elevations.

Conclusions:

Pyogenic liver abscesses can present in young otherwise healthy patients. It is important to consider pyogenic liver abscess in the differential of sepsis of possible hepatobiliary etiology, as urgent abscess drainage is often required.