Amoebic liver abscess: the effect of aspiration on the resolution or healing time.

Recent sonographic monitoring of patients treated for amoebic liver abscess has shown the healing or resolution time varying between 10 and 300 days. The effect of percutaneous needle aspiration under or resolution time was studied in 36 patients. Nineteen patients had drugs and needle aspiration under ultrasound guide whilst the 17 patients had drugs--metronidazole, diloxanide, and chloroquine--alone. Both groups were monitored clinically and sonographically. Results showed that the abscess cavities of 18 out of 19 patients (94.7%) of the aspirated group and 10 of 17 patients (58.8%) of the non-aspirated group had resolved at the end of three weeks. The difference in response to treatment was significant (P less than 0.02) more so for lesion size more than 6 cm (P less than 0.01). There was also a more rapid clinical response in the aspirated group than in the non-aspirated group, particularly for patients whose lesion size was more than 6 cm (P less than 0.01). In conclusion, percutaneous needle aspiration is safe, enhances clinical recovery, and accelerates resolution particularly in patients with large abscess cavities.