Prospective randomized comparative study of percutaneous catheter drainage and percutaneous needle aspiration in the treatment of liver abscess

Abstract

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of percutaneous needle aspiration (PNA) and percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) in the treatment of liver abscess. METHODS: A prospective randomized study was conducted in the Department of Surgery, JN Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, UP, India, between February 2018 and August 2019, after getting approval from the institutional ethics committee. A total of 543 patients with liver abscess were randomized into two groups using computer-generated randomization method. Appropriate details regarding patients' clinico-demographic profile and investigations were also collected. The effectiveness of either treatment was measured in terms of duration of intravenous antibiotic, clinical improvement, reduction in the size of cavity, treatment success rate, duration of hospital stay including long-term outcomes such as sonographic resolution of cavity and recurrence rate at 6 months post-treatment. RESULTS: The PCD group had statistically significant rate of duration of antibiotics need, days for clinical improvement and time for 50% reduction in abscess cavity and treatment success rate with comparable long-term outcomes. CONCLUSION: PCD is more efficient than PNA and can be used primarily in the treatment of both amoebic and pyogenic liver abscesses along with systemic antibiotics. However, PNA can serve as a safe alternative when PCD is not available.