Pyogenic liver abscess caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae diagnosed by third-generation sequencing: a case report and literature review

We report a case of a woman with diabetes mellitus and choledocholithiasis who had a low fever with chills and severe weakness for 7 days. The patient’s abdominal tenderness was positive. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a giant abscess in the liver. The production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases by hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae was found in the purulent fluid of the liver by nanopore-based metagenomic third-generation sequencing combined with an antibiotic susceptibility test. The patient recovered after intravenous antibiotic therapy and percutaneous drainage. Patients with a history of diabetes mellitus and choledocholithiasis should be aware of the possibility of pyogenic liver abscesses caused by hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae. To rapidly control the development of this disease, nanopore-based metagenomic third-generation sequencing plays an important role not only in rapidly identifying pathogens, but also in guiding the use of antibiotics.