Pyogenic liver abscess as an extra-intestinal manifestation of pediatric Crohn’s disease

Abstract

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by chronic granulomatous inflammation of any part of the body, primarily the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and is increasing in incidence worldwide. As CD is a systemic disease, the features of CD typically manifest in the GI tract; however, a variety of extra-intestinal manifestations, such as the involvement of joints, skin, and eyes may also occur. Although pyogenic liver abscess itself is rare in the general population (approximately 3–5 per 100,000 hospital admissions), it is also an unusual and rare presentation in pediatric CD patients. In this report, we present a case of pyogenic liver abscess in a 7-year-old female CD patient and discuss the clinical features, laboratory findings, imaging studies, and pathologic report of liver biopsy.