Burkholderia Pseudomallei: Liver Abscess in a Diabetic Patient from Western India

In Indian subcontinent, liver abscesses are often caused by amoebic and gram-negative organisms. Burkholderia pseudomallei (B. pseudomallei) is an emerging pathogen in India. The spectrum of disease caused by B. pseudomallei is variable and liver abscesses are an infrequent presentation. We report a case of isolated liver abscess caused by B. pseudomallei in a 72-year-old diabetic male patient, who was referred from Goa. Patient was treated with pigtail drainage of abscess and injection ceftazidime was given during stay in hospital. Patient was discharged on co-trimoxazole and doxycycline. The repeated culture after prolonged therapy showed markedly reduced colonies with similar antibiotic pattern and patient was treated successfully. It is important that pus aspirates from liver abscesses are worked up for microbiological culture and prompt treatment is initiated in case of melioidosis which is an emerging infection in India.