Ultrasonographic findings of liver abscess.

The initial sonograms of 201 liver abscesses in 165 patients were reviewed. Most abscesses were in the right lobe (84%), round in shape (83%) and with well defined margins (70%). The abscess contents were either predominantly echogenic (11%), of mixed echoes (28%), predominantly hypoechoic (59%) and showed fluid debris level (2%). Distal acoustic enhancement was noted in 90% of all abscesses. Abscesses with predominantly echogenic and mixed echo content can be misdiagnosed as hepatic neoplasms. When taken together with the appropriate clinical presentations, the presence of a round well defined hypoechoic mass with distal acoustic enhancement would be consistent with the diagnosis of liver abscess.