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Amoebic liver abscess medical therapy

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1];Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Yamuna Kondapally, M.B.B.S[2]

Overview

Overview

Indications for medical management of amoebic liver abscess are all non-complicated abscesses, without compression effect, and without features of rupture or impending rupture. Treatment of intraluminal infection include iodoquinol, metronidazole, tinidazole, and paromomycin.[1]

Medical Therapy

Medical Therapy

The primary mode of treatment is drug therapy or percutaneous catheter drainage. The four main groups of treatment modalities effective in the treatment of amoebic liver abscess include:

Indications for medical management:

  • All non-complicated abscesses
  • Without compression effect
  • Without features of rupture or impending rupture

Pharmacotherapy for E histolytica include:

Site Of Infection Treatment
Intraluminal infection Iodoquinol 650mg tid X 20 days
Diloxanide furoate 500mg tid X 20 days
Paromomycin 30mg/kg/day X 10 days (in 3 divided doses)
Amoebic liver abscess Metronidazole 800mg tid PO X 10days (500mg qid IV)
Invasive colitis Metronidazole 800mg tid X 5 days
Tinidazole 1 gm bd X 3 days

Current treatment recommendations of E histolytica includes

  • With medical therapy alone, the cure rates of more than 90% have been reported, with the resolution of pain, fever, and anorexia with in 72h to 96h.[1]
  • Pharmacotherapy is the first line treatment for amoebic liver abscess
Treatment phase Drug Adult Pediatric
Initial treatment of amoebic liver abscess Metronidazole 750 mg PO TID × 7–10 days 35–50 mg/kg/day divided TID × 7–10 days
Tinidazole 2 g once PO daily × 3 days >3 years: 50 mg/kg/day (max 2 g) PO in 1 dose × 3 days
Clearance of luminal cysts Iodoquinol 650 mg PO TID × 20 days 30–40 mg/kg/day divided TID × 20 days (max 2 g/day)
Paromomycin 500 mg PO TID × 7 days OR

25–35 mg/kg/day divided TID × 7 days

25–35 mg/kg/day divided TID × 7 days
References

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Petri WA, Singh U (1999). “Diagnosis and management of amebiasis”. Clin Infect Dis. 29 (5): 1117–25. doi:10.1086/313493. PMID 10524950.

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