Radiological changes in hepatic amoebiasis

Abstract

Summary: Radiological abnormalities were observed in 88·3% of patients with the syndrome of hepatic amoebiasis. While this figure is higher than those reported in previous studies, it appears that it is due to the large number of patients who showed an elevation of the diaphragm in the right lateral views of the chest. It was observed that a proportion of the patients with an elevation of the right dome of the diaphragm in the lateral views showed no significant elevation in the postero-anterior views, these patients constituting a radiologically distinct group. It is thus important that lateral views of the chest should be performed routinely in all cases of suspected hepatic amoebiasis. Cases of proved hepatic abscesses also conform to one or other of the radiological groups described. Abscesses situated inferiorly or anteriorly in the liver could be associated with an elevation of the right dome of the diaphragm. While chest radiology is of importance in the diagnosis of the syndrome of hepatic amoebiasis, it is not peculiar to this syndrome alone and is of only relative diagnostic value in clinically differentiating the cases where pus may be demonstrated from the cases where pus may not be demonstrable.