Percutaneous needle aspiration versus catheter drainage in the management of liver abscess: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of percutaneous needle aspiration (PNA) and percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) in the management of liver abscess. Methods Electronic searches (Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCIE) were conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing PNA and PCD. A meta-analysis was subsequently performed. Results A total of five RCTs covering 306 patients were included. The meta-analysis showed that outcomes in patients treated with PCD were superior to those in patients treated with PNA in terms of success rate [relative risk (RR): 0.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.66–0.99; P = 0.04], clinical improvement [standardized mean difference (SMD): −0.73, 95% CI 0.36–1.11; P = 0.0001] and days to achieve a 50% reduction in abscess cavity size (SMD: −1.08, 95% CI 0.64–1.53; P < 0.00001). No significant differences were found in duration of hospitalization (mean difference: −0.17, 95% CI −2.10 to 1.75; P = 0.86) or procedure-related complications (RR: 0.50, 95% CI 0.10–2.63; P = 0.41). Days to achieve the total or near total resolution of the abscess cavity and mortality were not calculated because data in the RCTs in the meta-analysis were insufficient. Conclusions Both PNA and PCD are safe methods of draining liver abscesses. However, PCD is more effective than PNA because it facilitates a higher success rate, reduces the time required to achieve clinical relief and supports a 50% reduction in abscess cavity size. However, among successfully treated patients, the outcomes of PNA are comparable with those of PCD.