A Prospective Observational Comparative Study of Percutaneous Catheter Drainage and Percutaneous Needle Aspiration in Treatment of Liver Abscess

Objectives: To evaluate and compare outcome of PCD and PCN considering clinical, laboratory and radiological findings. Liver abscesses are a significant health concern in developing countries. Minimally invasive methods such as Percutaneous Needle Aspiration (PNA) and Percutaneous Catheter Drainage (PCD) are commonly used for treatment. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of PNA and PCD in the management of liver abscesses. Material and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at People’s Hospital, Bhopal, from May 2023 to October 2024. A total of 75 cases diagnosed with liver abscesses (≥5 cm or >100 cc) were included and divided into two groups: PNA (n = 27) and PCD (n = 48). Clinical, laboratory, and radiological parameters were assessed. Outcomes such as clinical improvement, hospital stay, number of aspirations, reduction in abscess cavity size, and treatment success were compared using SPSS v25.0. Results: The mean age of cases was 39.71 ± 10.15 years, with 92% males. Abdominal pain (100%) and fever (86.7%) were the most common symptoms. Hypoalbuminemia (73.3%) and raised alkaline phosphatase (92%) were frequently observed. PCD group had significantly larger abscess sizes (288.10 ± 117.06 cc vs. 124.26 ± 14.31 cc) and showed faster clinical improvement (10.63 ± 1.95 vs. 11.44 ± 4.46 days), quicker cavity reduction (12.46 ± 2.03 vs. 14.37 ± 4.68 days), and higher complete resolution rates (95.8% vs. 88.9%). PCD also required only a single intervention in all cases, whereas 25.9% in the PNA group needed a second aspiration. Conclusion: Both PNA and PCD are effective for managing liver abscesses. However, PCD demonstrates superior outcomes in terms of resolution rate, recovery time, and procedural efficiency, making it the preferred method, especially in larger abscesses.