Liver abscess in inflammatory bowel disease: report of two cases and review of the literature

Abstract

Hepatic abscesses are a rare complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Despite the fact that certain hepatobiliary complications of IBD, including cholelithiasis, primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and cholangiocarcinoma predispose patients with IBD to ascending cholangitis, previously published data does not demonstrate that biliary infection is an important mechanism underlying liver abscess development in these patients. We describe two patients with inflammatory bowel disease, both with PSC, who developed multiple liver abscesses, and review the literature on liver abscesses in association with inflammatory bowel disease.