Laparoscopic Surgery for Intra-abdominal Ruptured Liver Abscess: A study of 32 cases

Abstract

Liver abscess is a common condition in tropical countries and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Traditionally, there are two major classifications of hepatic abscess; pyogenic and amoebic [1,2]. There are various complications associated with hepatic abscesses, of which, rupture of the abscess is the most common [3-5]. Intraperitoneal rupture of liver abscess is a rare but potentially fatal disease, often involving the elderly, who are commonly of poor surgical risk with background of significant medical illness [6,7]. Accurate preoperative diagnosis is difficult and often necessitates exploratory laparotomy for peritonitis [8].