Intern Med. 2008;47(7):675-8. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.47.0638. Epub 2008 Apr 01.

Pyogenic liver abscess related to dental disease in an immunocompetent host.

Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan)

Takashi Kajiya, Takeshi Uemura, Mami Kajiya, Hikaru Kaname, Ryuki Hirano, Nobuhiro Uemura, Chuwa Tei

PMID: 18379160 DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.47.0638

Abstract

A 59-year-old man with poor oral hygiene presented to our hospital because of fever and chills. Abdominal ultrasonography and enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed a liver abscess. The patient had no history of immunodeficiency and we confirmed the patient had no immunologic abnormalities. Blood culture revealed Fusobacterium nucleatum, a bacterium commonly found in the oral cavity. Even if a patient is immunocompetent, poor oral hygiene might be an independent risk factor for a pyogenic liver abscess. Professional mechanical tooth cleaning (PMTC) and appropriate self-care are recommended as a prophylaxis against not only dental, but also systemic diseases.

MeSH terms

• Fusobacterium nucleatum / isolation & purification
• Humans
• Immunocompetence*
• Liver Abscess, Pyogenic / diagnosis
• Liver Abscess, Pyogenic / etiology
• Liver Abscess, Pyogenic / microbiology
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Stomatognathic Diseases / complications
• Stomatognathic Diseases / diagnosis
• Stomatognathic Diseases / microbiology

Publication Types

• Case Reports
• Journal Article
• Review