歯周炎が原因と考えられたFusobacterium nucleatumによる肝膿瘍の1症例

We report a case of liver abscess due to Fusobacterium nucleatum in a 68-year-old man with periodontitis. He was admitted to our hospital complaining of high fever. Abdominal ultrasound sonography and computed tomography scan revealed a single liver abscess. Fusobacterium nucleatum was isolated from liver aspirates. He had no dental symptoms but periodontitis was diagnosed. After extraction of a tooth, he had high fever again suffered from sepsis. Fusobacterium nucleatum is anaerobic gram-negative bacilli found in normal flora of oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract, but it has rarely proven as a causative pathogen of liver abscess or systemic infection associated with periodontal disease. It should be noted that poor dental hygiene could lead to serious systemic infection.