Polymicrobial Infection Following Repeat Pig-Tail Drainage of Hepatic Cyst: A Case Report

A 72-year-old female with polycystic liver and kidney disease was diagnosed with gall bladder stone. Due to the oversized hepatic cysts, the patient developed the symptom of dyspnea. The treatment of percutaneous transhepatic drainage with pig-tail catheter catheter for hepatic cyst was found to have led to serious complications of polymicrobial infection. Antibiotic therapy demonstrated a poor response to the infection. A combined therapy of surgical resection of liver cysts plus antibiotic therapy was therefore applied and it showed a better recovery. Laboratory analysis also confirmed previous impression of polymicrobial infection. This case study suggests that (1) efforts should be made to prevent complications of infection in the case with gall stone when percutaneous transhepatic drainage is considered necessary, (2) conventional surgery for patients with a complications of pig-tail catheter drainage may be recommended.