PATIENTS DEMOGRAPHICS AND PREDISPOSING FACTORS FOR AMOEBIC LIVER ABSCESS

Abstract

Amoebic Liver Abscess, Predisposing Factors, Patient Demographics, Alcoholism, Low Socioeconomic Status.

Amoebiasis is a common disease in the tropics presenting with dysentery, due to the bad hygiene, contamination of foods and water by Entamoeba histolytica. Very rarely amoebic dysentery may complicate and form an abscess in the liver leading to amoebic liver abscess. Entamoeba histolytica belongs to class Rhizopodia and order Amoebidae and genus of the Entamoeba. 1 Prevalence of amoebic infection varies from 3.8 to 50%. The highest prevalence of infection is seen in the age group of 20-50 years with a significant male predominance, male to female ratio of 7:1-20:1. 2 The aim of this study is to evaluate the patients’ demographic characteristics and predisposing factors for amoebic liver abscess in order to draw up a disease control strategy locally in Karwar.

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