Despite the advent of antibiotics and newer laboratory facilities, the morbidity and mortality of liver abscess continue to be high in Korea mainly because of the delayed diagnosis and abuse of antibiotics.
This study is a review of the records of 155 patients in whom medical treatment and/or surgical intervention, was done under the diagnosis of liver abscess at the dept. of internal medicine and general surgery, of National Medical Center over the period of 1966 to 1975.
1) The incidence of liver abscess was estimated as 0.20% of total hospital admission, the ratio of amebic to pyogenic abscess being 1.2: 1.
2) A tendency was noted in. incidence, decreasing in amebic {59.7% to 51.0%) while increasing in pyogenic abscess (40.3% to 48.9%) between two different terms of 1966-1970 and 1971~1975 respectively.
3) The average age was 41 years with a highest incidence in 3rd decade (34.8%) and the sex ratio was 2 : 1 with a greater prevalence in male.
4) The:most-common antecedent cause of pyogenic liver abscess was cholangits, secondary to cholecystitis or choledocholithiasis.
5): In cases with pyogenic abscess, the positive culture was 38.6% with more prevalence of Gram (-) groups and in amebic abscess E-histolitica could hardly be detected.
6) The usual diagnostic methods were liver scanning liver aspiration and exploratory ldpar-otomy.
7) Regarding treatment, aspiration was, generally effective in amebic abscess, and laparotomy with drainage in pyogenic abscess.
8) The postoperative complications developed in 39.2% of all surgical cases and the overall mortality was 14.2%, in amebic 5.9% and in pyogenic 24.2%.
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