Pyogenic liver abscess in children.

Our center's experience with 15 pyogenic liver abscesses in 14 children from 1979 to 1992 showed an incidence of 20 per 100,000 pediatric hospital admissions. Eight of the 15 liver abscesses were cryptogenic in origin. The clinical features and laboratory findings were non-specific. Improved imaging techniques such as real time sonography and computed tomography made early diagnosis feasible. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most common pathogen in this study. Drainage combined with antibiotics provides the most important treatment for this disease. Before 1986, surgery was frequently used, but now percutaneous drainage is preferred. Surgery may be reserved for those who respond poorly to percutaneous drainage and medical treatment. One of the 14 patients in this study died.