Liver Abscess due to Streptococcus pneumoniae: A Clinical Rarity

Abstract

We report a case of pyogenic liver abscess caused by a rare causative agent, Streptococcus pneumoniae. A 45-year-old man with underlying uncontrolled diabetes mellitus who had stopped taking his daily dose of insulin since the last 4 days, presented with pain in the abdominal area of one-day duration. Upon his admission to achieve diabetic control, a routine ultrasound examination of abdomen revealed incidentally, a large abscess in the left lobe of the liver with impending rupture. Culture of the ultrasound-guided liver aspirate pus yielded pure growth of a penicillin-susceptible S. pneumoniae isolate. After 4 weeks of parenteral ceftriaxone therapy along with intensive regimen for diabetic control, the liver abscess became resolved, and the patient improved and was discharged with no residual infection or recurrence at four months and at one-year follow-up. A review of relevant literature related to S. pneumoniae liver abscess revealed a mention of such entity only on 4 previous occasions. The present case highlights an important though rare manifestation of S. pneumoniae infection and emphasizes the need to establish an early diagnosis of S. pneumoniae infection for improved patient survival and favourable outcome.