Prostatic abscess induced by Klebsiella pneumoniae in alcoholic liver cirrhosis assessed with transrectal ultrasonography: Report of a case

Prostatic abscess (PA) is a life-threatening infection of the prostate gland in immunocompromised patients. Obscure clinical presentations and the extensive use of antibiotics in such patients increase the chance of under-diagnosis during clinical practice. Patients with alcoholic cirrhosis are prone to Klebsiella pneumoniae infection, but PA as a complication is rarely documented. We report on a 41-year-old man with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and septicemia caused by K. pneumoniae. The septicemia in this case was associated with abscess formation in the prostate gland. Transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) confirmed the diagnosis of PA and TRUS-guided aspiration identified the infecting pathogen as K. pneumoniae. With TRUS-guided aspiration and a two-week course of parenteral antibiotics, a favorable clinical outcome was achieved. This case suggests that, when septicemia from K. pneumoniae of unknown origin occurs in cirrhotic patients, early exploration of the prostate gland should be considered.