Amebic liver abscess in Iranian children

Although amebic liver abscess can be a cause of significant morbidity and mortality in all ages, there are few reports dealing with this entity in children. Twenty-four children with amebic liver abscess. Ages ranging between 8 weeks and 14.5 years were managed at the Tehran university hospital of children, Iran, between November 1987, and October 2001. The most frequency presentation was high-grade fever and right upper quadrant pain, associated with tender hepatomegaly, leukocytosis and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The diagnosis was confirmed by elevated indirect hemagglutination titers and ultrasonograpy of the liver. Unlike the experience in adult patients, none of the patients had concomitant jaundice and significant derangement of liver enzymes. The abscesses were likely to be solitary (22 of 24 patients). There were 17 males and 7 females. Most patients (80%) were between 8 weeks to 14.5 years of age. In five patients possible predisposing factors were tuberculosis, chickenpox, tetralogy of fallot and thalassemia major. All patients received metronidazole (50 mg/kg/day), followed by a therapeutic course of a luminal amebicide. There was no death despite a mean delay of 15 days before presentation to our hospital. In conclusion a high index of suspicion, early institution of metronidazole therapy and aspiration of abscesses with potential to rupture are believed to have contributed to the better outcome in these children when compared with results in previous reports.