LEPTOSPIROSIS AND LIVER ABSCESS: AN UNUSUAL ASSOCIATION

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic infection infrequently reported in non-tropical regions. Although classically described as a biphasic illness, unusual clinical manifestations have been reported, including a previous case of a lung abscess associated with this causative agent. We present the case of a 49-year-old man with a new diagnosis of two liver abscesses associated with leptospirosis. LEARNING POINTS: Leptospirosis is a zoonosis caused by spirochetes of the genus Leptospira; the infection is more commonly reported in tropical regions. Leptospirosis classically manifests as a biphasic illness, the first phase characterized by high fever that coincides with leptospiraemia, followed by a brief period when the patient is afebrile. In the second phase, fever returns, accompanied by jaundice and renal failure. The unusual clinical manifestations of leptospirosis include a previous report of a lung abscess, but despite frequent liver involvement, liver abscess in this context has not previously been described.