Liver abscess. Imaging and interventional radiology in French Polynesia

23 cases of liver abscess are reported (13 pyogenous, 10 amoebic). Clinical feature is rather uniform and evocative; thanks to picture technics, diagnosis was easy in 22 cases but hesitating in one case. Semeiology revealed by scanner or echography is detailed. Both techniques are fairly equivalent considering accuracy but not really specific. The interventional radiology at the stage of diagnosis, consists in puncture (14 out of 23 cases), at the stage of therapy, in transcutaneous drainage (6/23 cases). They are performed with the assistance of scanner, echoscopy and/or radioscopy. Therapy has been medical in 13 cases/23, associated with transcutaneous drainage 6 times, surgical in 4 cases. A procedure is proposed, including early puncture to diagnose, drainage of pyogenous abscesses, only medical treatment against amoebiasis exceptionally help of surgery and controlled by echography.