Amebiasis--a differential diagnosis from inflammatory bowel disease

Entamoeba histolytica is a very uncommon etiology of travelers diarrhoea, but may be an important differential diagnosis to inflammatory bowel disease. A misdiagnosis of amoebic colitis as inflammatory bowel disease followed by inadvertent treatment with corticosteroids may be fatal. Current techniques for the diagnosis of amoebiasis include stool studies, endoscopic biopsy and serology. Demonstration of haematophagous trophozoites in feces or in tissue biopsy is the definitive method for diagnosis. Unfortunately both methods have many drawbacks. If the specimens are negative, serology can support the diagnosis especially in a non-endemic area where a positive test is highly predictive of current disease.