Hepatic amebiasis: a reminder of the complications

Abstract

The complications of amebic liver abscess are underappreciated in developed countries and are often misdiagnosed. We report a 16-month-old male child with amebic liver abscess, initially misdiagnosed with pneumonia, who became critically ill with peritoneal, pleural and pericardial extension, and gastric perforation. In addition to highlighting the complications of amebic liver abscess, this case demonstrates the value of PCR testing as a diagnostic and molecular tool.