Chest complications of amoebic liver abscess: a report of six cases from Nigeria.

During a seven year period, six patients with intra-thoracic rupture of amoebic liver abscesses required surgical intervention. Of the six cases, three ruptured into the right pleural space, two into the right lower lobe and one into the pericardium. Definitive surgical procedures performed were decortication and repair of the diaphragm in three, segmental lung resection and repair of the diaphragm in two cases and continuous subxyphoid catheter drainage of the pericardium in the remaining case. There were no death and the morbidity was insignificant.