Role of ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment follow-up of amoebic liver abscess

Sonograms of 48 amoebic liver abscesses (ALA) in 33 patients were retrospectively analysed to determine the frequency of previously described sonographic features. Eighty-five per cent of the ALA were located in the right lobe and 77% of them were contiguous with the liver capsule. ALA were round or oval in 94% of the cases without significant wall echoes (81%). Sixty-two per cent of the abscesses were inhomogeneous. Post-therapy (medical) sonographic follow-up was done in 26 patients with 34 lesions. While 64.7% of the lesions resolved completely, others showed residual abnormalities in the form of hypoechoic (14.7%), mainly hyperechoic (2.9%) and anechoic lesions (17.7%). We conclude that serological and clinical data in combination with these non-specific sonographic features are sufficient for the management of ALA, obviating the need for expensive and invasive techniques in majority of the cases.