J Korean Soc Coloproctol.  1999 Mar;15(1):41-49.

Three Cases of Amebic Colitis Misdiagnosed as T.B. Colitis

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Surgery, Song-Do Colorectal Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
  • 2Department of Radiology, Song-Do Colorectal Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

Nowadays, inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, is increasing; however, infectious colitis, such as amebic colitis, is decreasing, so many doctors are not apt to be interested in infectious colitis. In addition, recently amebic colitis has been relatively rare in Korea, and the colonoscopic and the pathologic findings of amebic colitis are very similar to those of other inflammatory bowel diseases. As a consequence, the diagnosis is very difficult if the cyst or the trophozoite of the ameba is not found in the stool examination or in the tissue pathology. The authors experienced three cases in which initial diagnoses of tuberculous colitis, ulcerative colitis, and a simple ulcer were made based on colonoscopic and X-ray findings. However a colonoscopic biopsy revealed a trophozoite form of ameba in the tissue. Hence, a diagnosis of amebic colitis could be made with confidence. Based on these results, we insist that infectious colitis should be included in the differential diagnosis when making a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, it is extremely important to consider all kinds of infectious colitis, such as amebic colitis.

Keyword

Amebic colitis; Infectious colitis; Inflammatory bowel disease

MeSH Terms

Amoeba
Biopsy
Colitis*
Colitis, Ulcerative
Crohn Disease
Diagnosis
Diagnosis, Differential
Dysentery, Amebic*
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Korea
Pathology
Trophozoites
Ulcer
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