Disseminated Gonorrhea Presenting as Liver Abscess in a Patient With Sickle Cell Disease

Infection caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a global health concern. Occasionally, gonococcal infections may disseminate and cause clinical syndromes, such as arthritis, tenosynovitis, and skin lesions. Here, we report a very rare presentation of a liver abscess due to N. gonorrhoeae in a 29-year-o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSexually transmitted diseases Vol. 49; no. 11; p. 797
Main Authors Kim, Jani M, Pervaiz, Sarah, Sivasubramanian, Geetha
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.11.2022
Subjects
Adult
Anemia, Sickle Cell - complications
Female
Gonorrhea - complications
Gonorrhea - diagnosis
Gonorrhea - drug therapy
Humans
Liver Abscess
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Virulence Factors - therapeutic use
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Summary:Infection caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a global health concern. Occasionally, gonococcal infections may disseminate and cause clinical syndromes, such as arthritis, tenosynovitis, and skin lesions. Here, we report a very rare presentation of a liver abscess due to N. gonorrhoeae in a 29-year-old woman with sickle cell disease without prior genitourinary complaints. The patient was successfully treated using drainage and antimicrobial therapy. Evaluation did not reveal any inherited defects in complement deficiency. It is possible that the underlying immune defects from sickle cell disease and unknown bacterial virulence factors could have contributed to this dissemination. Further research is needed to understand the immunopathogenesis of disseminated gonococcal infections, and efforts to screen and prevent primary infections are ongoing.
ISSN:1537-4521
DOI:10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001624