Sistema Gastrointestinal e Digestivo

Abstrato

Amoebic Enterocolitis Mimicking Crohns Disease - Case Report

Jan M. Vrolijk

To demonstrate the pitfalls in the diagnosis of intestinal amoebiasis we describe a case of amoebic enterocolitis with an atypical clinical presentation. In a patient with repeated rectal blood loss and no diarrhea, colonoscopy showed discontinuous ulcerative enterocolitis of the ileocecal region. Because of a high suspicion of Crohn’s disease a recipe of Entocort 9mg daily was handed out to him. Histological examination of the biopsies revealed the causative trophozoites of Entamoeba hystolitica, and the patient was then successfully treated with Metronidazole. Presumptive diagnosis based on a lesion’s appearance could be important for initial therapy but only objective data enable definitive diagnosis and specific therapy.