Amebic liver abscess in infancy: case report and review.

Abstract

Amebic liver abscess (ALA) is uncommon in the United States and is potentially lethal when acquired during the first year of life. The clinical course of ALA in a 10-month-old infant is presented and the characteristics of 18 previously described cases of infants with ALA from the United States are reported; this infant population (including our patient) is compared with a population of adults with ALA. In contrast to the initial signs in adults, those in infants are nonspecific and include fever, hepatomegaly, anemia, and elevated levels of transaminases. Colitis may occur in infants, but results of examinations for ova or parasites are usually negative. On presentation the amebic serology for one-third of infants with ALA is negative. The clinical course of ALA in infants is usually fulminant and is associated with a mortality rate of nearly 50%.