PYOGENIC LIVER-ABSCESSES AND ACUTE SCHISTOSOMIASIS-MANSONI - REPORT ON 3 CASES AND EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY

Three children with acute schistosomiasis mansoni developed pyogenic l iver abscesses. The abscesses were diagnosed by ultrasonography and co nfirmed during laparotomy. Staphylococcus aureus were the sole bacteri a isolated from the abscesses. An experimental study was carried our i n mice to establish whether schistosomiasis is a predisposing cause fo r pyogenic liver abscesses. Seventeen mice (group 1) were infected wit h 40 Schistosoma mansoni cercariae (LE strain) and 60 d later inoculat ed intravenously with a strain of Staph. aureus, isolated from a patie nt with bacteraemia; 17 mice infected with Sch. mansoni (group 2), 19 infected with bacteria alone (group 3), and 18 uninfected mice (group 4), served as controls. Thirteen group 1 mice (77%) developed multiple liver abscesses while none was observed in the controls. These result s indicate that acute schistosomiasis mansoni concurrent with Staph, a ureus bacteraemia favours the colonization of the liver by bacteria an d the development of pyogenic hepatic abscesses.