Liver abscess caused by toothpick and treated by laparoscopic left hepatic resection: case report and literature review
- 1Department of Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- 2Department of Radiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Correspondence to Dr Michele Molinari, michele.molinari{at}cdha.nshealth.ca
Hepatic abscesses caused by ingested foreign bodies have been reported in the medical literature but represent very uncommon events. Extra-luminal migration of sawing needles and pins is the most common cause of perforation of the gastrointestinal tract associated with liver infections. Other non-metallic sharp objects such as animal bones and toothpicks have been described but are less frequent. The authors present a case of a 45-year-old woman who suffered from sepsis and a liver abscess because of the migration of a toothpick that lodged in the left hepatic lobe. Review of the literature on the pathogenesis and clinical management of liver abscesses caused by ingested foreign is presented.
Footnotes
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Competing interests None.
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Patient consent Obtained.
