A population‐based study of pyogenic liver abscess in Korea: Incidence, mortality and temporal trends during 2007‐2017

Background/Aims Although the epidemiology of pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) continues to change, only a few population‐based studies have been conducted in Korea. This study investigated the epidemiology and clinical outcomes of PLA patients during a period of 10 years. Methods We analysed the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service data between 2007 and 2017. The data included annual incidence rates, demographic data, underlying diseases, complications and mortality of PLA patients. Results The annual incidence of PLA for all age groups was 10.9 per 100 000 population. The incidence was gradually increased from 5.7 per 100 000 in 2007 to 14.4 per 100 000 in 2017. In patients with liver abscess, the prevalence of diabetes and malignancy were 37.24% and 26.5% respectively. Metastatic infection was reported in 1.74% of the patients, and endophthalmitis was most common. The mean in‐hospital mortality was 9.6%, and there was no significant difference in mortality by year during the observation period. Mortality increased with age and was greatly affected by the underlying diseases, especially cancer. Based on the multivariate analysis results, the mortality of PLA patients was associated with older age, female sex, diabetes, malignancy and chronic kidney disease. Conclusion The PLA incidence is rapidly increasing in Korea, especially in people with comorbidities. In addition, the causes and risk factors of PLA infections are changing and thus further research on epidemiology, different diagnosis and management approaches is required.