[Clinical problems of amebiasis]

Abstract

Dagnostic and therapeutic problems of amebiaiss, a disease rarely observed in this country, are discussed in the light of four own cases representing the various courses of the disease. These observations prompt the following conclusions: 1. Amebiasis should be considered in cases of unclear acute or chronic intestinal disease, even if the patient has never visited endemic regions. 2. Non-tropical forms of amebiasis may follow a severe course with complications such as liver abscess or ameboma. 3. The advice of a specialized laboratory is necessary for stool examinations on amebae. 4. Stool examinations for amebiasis should be combined with serological tests. The immunofluorescense test is of special value. False negative results are however possible, especially in cases without tissue inflitration where the infection is limited to the intestinal lumen. 5. Metronidazol (Flagyl) greatly simplifies the treatment of amebiasis as it is both efffective and better tolerated than most other antiamebic agents.