Hepatic abscess among Iraqi patients.

Hepatic abscess was studied in 21 established cases in Basrah hospitals (Southern Iraq) during 1985 to 1988. Age of patients varied from 19 to 60 years. There were 7 females and 14 males and most of them from urban areas. All patients had a single abscess and the common site affected was the right lobe. Microorganisms isolated from 19 patients included a variety of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and a protozoan Entamoeba histolytica. Escherichia coli was the most common etiologic agent for the pyogenic abscesses. Therapy was a combination of an open surgical drainage and antimicrobial agents. Usually the drug regimen included metronidazole in combination with either tetracycline, ampicillin or gentamicin. No mortality was recorded on a long-term sequelae.