Anchovy-like fluid drained from a huge liver abscess: A diagnostic challenge

• Published in: Travel medicine and infectious disease Vol. 58; p. 102705
• Main Authors: Sun, Lingxiao, Mi, Sijia, Fan, Chunhong, Guo, Yang, Wang, Hui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2024; Elsevier Limited; Elsevier
• Subjects: Abscesses; Alanine; Antibodies; Antigens; Liver; Medical diagnosis; Phosphatase; Beijing China; China
• ISSN: 1477-8939; 1873-0442
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2024.102705

A 79-year-old man was presented to the emergency department at Peking University People's Hospital (Beijing, China) with 2 weeks of fever up to 102 F, yellow skin and sclera, and right upper abdominal pain. Clinical laboratory examination showed elevated inflammatory markers (white blood count [WBC] 19.89 × 109/L neutrophil count: 18.56 × 109/L, C-reactive protein: 145.7 mg/L, and procalcitonin: 0.697 ng/mL); clotting dysfunction (prothrombin time: 20.3 s, prothrombin activity: 44%, D-dimer 3371 ng/mL), and hepatic dysfunction (alanine aminotransferase: 50 U/L, aspartate aminotransferase: 224 U/L, total bilirubin: 193.1 μmol/L, direct bilirubin: 139.2 μmol/L alkaline phosphatase: 190 U/L, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase: 76 U/L). [...]there is thus far no hospital or company that tests amoeba antigen or antibody in Beijing, China. In non-endemic areas like Beijing, there is no hospital or company that currently tests for amoeba antibody or antigen.