Amebic liver abscess in a female child with successful recovery in a non-endemic area: A case report

Jihang JiaQin Guo^*

• Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China, Sichuan University West China Second University Hospital, Chengdu, China

We report the case of a 2-year-and-11-month-old female who presented with a 10-day history of recurrent fever and abdominal pain, accompanied by significantly elevated inflammatory markers. Initially, incomplete Kawasaki disease (IKD) was strongly suspected; however, the patient continued to experience recurrent high fever and abdominal pain despite treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and antibiotics. Enhanced thoracoabdominal computed tomography (CT) imaging revealed hepatomegaly and the presence of an abscess in the anterosuperior segment of the right lobe of the liver. The patient subsequently underwent surgical intervention due to the progression of symptoms, including worsening fever, abdominal pain, and the development of new-onset shortness of breath. Postoperative immunohistochemical analysis identified Entamoeba histolytica (E. histolytica) trophozoites, confirming the diagnosis of amebic liver abscess (ALA). Following the diagnosis, the patient was treated with a 10-day of oral metronidazole. A follow-up CT scan conducted four months later and showed complete resolution of the liver abscess and normalization of the liver function. While amoebiasis is rare in pediatric populations, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of liver abscesses, even in non-endemic regions.