Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastrointest Surg. Sep 27, 2026; 18(9): 123218
Published online Sep 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.123218
Published online Sep 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.123218
Letter to the Editor: Time-based evidence supporting early percutaneous catheter drainage in pyogenic liver abscess
Chang Hun Lee, Yeon Woo Cha, In Hee Kim, Department of Internal Medicine, Jeonbuk National University Medical School and Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University Hospital-Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju 54907, South Korea
Co-first authors: Chang Hun Lee and Yeon Woo Cha.
Author contributions: Lee CH and Cha YW contributed equally to this work as co-first authors; Lee CH, Kim IH designed the study; Lee CH performed the data analysis, Lee CH and Cha YW drafted the manuscript; Kim IH supervised the study and provided final approval; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: No AI tools were used during the writing of the manuscript.
Supported by the National University Development Project at Jeonbuk National University in 2025 and the Jeonbuk National University in 2026.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Corresponding author: In Hee Kim, MD, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Jeonbuk National University Medical School and Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University Hospital-Jeonbuk National University Medical School, 20 Geonji-ro, Duckjin-gu, Jeonju 54907, South Korea. ihkimmd@jbnu.ac.kr
Received: May 15, 2026
Revised: July 13, 2026
Accepted: August 21, 2026
Published online: September 27, 2026
Processing time: 120 Days and 15.9 Hours
Revised: July 13, 2026
Accepted: August 21, 2026
Published online: September 27, 2026
Processing time: 120 Days and 15.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Among 366 patients who underwent percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) for pyogenic liver abscess at three tertiary centers in Korea, early PCD performed within 3 days of admission was associated with shorter hospital stays and substantially greater reduction in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels after 1 week. Delayed PCD (> 3 days after admission), diabetes mellitus, and lower serum albumin levels were independent predictors of prolonged hospitalization. Together with the imaging-based findings reported by Qiu et al, these temporal data support early PCD as a beneficial management strategy for pyogenic liver abscess.