[Liver abscesses secondary to sigmoid diverticulitis: report of four cases].

Introduction: Pyogenic liver abscess often revealed by right sided abdominal pain and fever is a serious and life-threatening pathology. Biliary tract disease is the origin of the abscess in most cases but sometimes remains unidentified. A sigmoid septic source sometimes paucisymptomatic or hidden by an immunosuppressive treatment must be looked for.

Exegesis: Here are four observations of liver abscesses, which are secondary to unknown sigmoiditis. The etiologic diagnosis was made either by abdomino-pelvic computed tomography or by enema with water-soluble products completed by a coloscopy. Each patient's liver abscesses were emptied by aspiration or catheter drainage in conjunction with antibiotics. Surgical treatment of sigmoiditis was performed either at the same time or later.

Conclusion: Any liver abscess of unknown origin must lead to a search for unknown or disguised septic sigmoid pathology. Most of the time, injected abdomino-pelvic computed tomography makes the diagnosis possible, but enema associated with coloscopy is sometimes necessary.