Extraintestinal amebiasis

Abstract

Extraintestinal involvement is a dreaded complication of amebiasis, with a reported mortality rate of 7%-14%. The authors retrospectively studied 188 patients with extraintestinal amebiasis confirmed by means of clinical, surgical, and radiologic criteria over a 45-month period. Ultrasonography (US) was the mainstay of radiologic investigation. Liver abscess was present in 183 patients (97%); five patients (3%) had other organ involvement but a normal liver. The majority of liver abscesses were in the right lobe. US is recommended for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with extraintestinal amebiasis. It is noninvasive, simple, easily reproducible, and less expensive than computed tomography. Portable models can be taken into remote areas of the less-developed world.