E. histolytica: abscesses 



Infections in the liver. The liver is the most frequent 

 secondary site of infection, the amoebae gaining access to 

 this organ by way of the portal vein and giving rise 

 there to one or more abscesses. These abscesses are most 

 often in the right lobe but may be situated in any part 

 of the liver. Sometimes they are very large, containing 

 over a gallon of pus. They may rupture into the lung or 

 other neighboring regions and thus be responsible for 

 spreading the infection. Various investigators have re- 

 ported the percentage of liver abscesses in cases of in- 

 testinal amoebiasis. For example, Kartulis (1887) noted 

 55 per cent of 500 cases at autopsy; Councilman and 

 Lafleur (1891) record 21 cases among 1429 patients 

 suffering from amoebic dysentery; Craig (1911) noted 

 33 per cent of 78 cases at autopsy; Clark (1924) records 

 51 per cent of 186 cases of intestinal amoebiasis that were 

 autopsied in Panama between the years 1905 and 1923; 

 and Ludlow (1926) reports the extremely high incidence 

 of II. 2 per cent among Korean females. 



Other secondary sites of infection. Abscesses of amoe- 

 bic origin may also occur in the lung, brain, spleen, etc. 

 Pulmonary abscesses may be due to rupture of a liver 

 abscess or to amoebae carried to the lungs in the circula- 

 tion. The lower lobe of the right lung is the most com- 

 mon location. Abscesses in the lung may rupture into 

 the air passages and the pus, containing amoebae, may be 

 coughed up by the patient. Amoebae carried into the brain 

 may give rise to cerebral abscesses of which about 50 

 cases have been recorded, all ending fatally. Several 

 cases of splenic abscess have been reported. Amoebae have 

 also been reported from the urinary tract, the testis, the 



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