Amebiasis: An update on diagnosis and treatment

More than 50 million persons worldwide are believed to be infected with Entamoeba histolytica. Most victims (90%) remain asymptomatic, while an array of clinical syndromes ranging from diarrhea, dysentery, and colitis to abscesses of the liver, spleen, and brain develop in the remaining 10%. About 100,000 persons die each year as a consequence of amebic infestation. Among the issues that contribute to complicating the diagnosis and management of amebic infections are the varied clinical presentations, varied illness course in different communities, difficulties in diagnosis, and unavailability of medical resources in the developing world. An integrated diagnostic-therapeutic approach that distinguishes between E histolytica and Entamoeba dispar infections is warranted to help address these complexities and provide the best patient management.