[Fever and right upper abdominal pain in a 26-year-old returning from travel abroad]. / Fieber und rechtsseitige Oberbauchschmerzen bei einem 26-jährigen Reiserückkehrer.

Persistent fever and unspecific general symptoms need a complete and detailed medical history and search for infection. We report on a case of amebiasis with liver abscesses of a 26-year-old man. He had stayed several weeks in India and South America. After being free of complaints for 4 months, unspecific general symptoms and fever appeared. Due to proven liver abscesses, a combination treatment was given. Within 12 days, he was free of symptoms and could be discharged.

Huge Amoebic Liver Abscess in the Left Lobe Treated by Oral Administration of Metronidazole.

A man in his 60s visited a clinic with chief complaints of a fever and general malaise. Suspecting a liver abscess in the left lobe with infiltration into the subcutaneous fat tissue under the rectus abdominis muscle based on computed tomography findings, we performed fine-needle aspiration. An amoebic liver abscess was diagnosed. Remission was achieved by the oral administration of metronidazole alone without placement of a drainage tube. The results obtained in this case suggest that the first line of treatment should be a non-invasive approach with oral administration alone. Invasive intervention should then be considered depending on subsequent progress.

[Remarkable evolution of hepatic, pleural and pulmonary amoebiasis: a case report]. / Evolution spectaculaire d'une amibiase hépatique et pleuropulmonaire: à propos d'un cas.

Entamoeba histolytica, is a human pathogen which is endemic in tropical areas. The most common extra-intestinal locations for disease after the liver are pleural and pulmonary. Although the outcome of pleural and pulmonary amoebiasis is generally favourable, it is important to note that a significant proportion of patients do develop pleural and pulmonary after-effects. We report a case of pleural and pulmonary amoebiasis where the evolution of a massive pleural effusion and 3 associated liver abscesses was spectacular. The surgical management of pleural, pulmonary and liver amoebiasis is discussed.

[Pleuro-pulmonary manifestations disclosing hepatic amoebiasis]. / Manifestations pleuropulmonaires révélatrices de l'amibiase hépatique.

During a mission in ex-Yugoslavia between 2001 and 2004, three French soldiers were sent home because of right pneumopathy, right pleurisy after appendicectomy, haemoptysis and liver haematoma, respectively. They previously were stationed in Africa and/or South America. The initial diagnosis was quickly modified: pleuropulmonary manifestations of amoebic hepatic abscess in two cases, and pleuropulmonary amoebiasis in the last case. The outcome was favourable with standard anti-amoebic treatment. The reports illustrate the possibility of hepatic amoebiasis with local pleuropulmonary manifestations and an exceptional case of pleuropulmonary amoebiasis with hepatobronchial fistula. The authors report this experience because it demonstrates that amoebiasis in European countries remains an often forgotten diagnosis. Although known for a long time in developing countries, amoebiasis in the military or in tourists should be systematically considered.

Learning points from a case of severe amoebic colitis.

A case of amoebic colitis and liver abscess is described in a previously fit 59-year old man who had been given the incorrect diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. His symptoms were so severe that a colectomy was being considered. The patient had a significant travel history including trips to Morocco, the Gambia and Cape Verde, putting him at risk of acquiring amoebic disease. However, this history was not ascertained until much later on in the disease process. The case highlighted crucial learning points including the importance of taking a lifelong travel history, the difficulties in telling ulcerative colitis and amoebic colitis apart both clinically and histopathologically, and the importance of sending multiple stool samples for parasitological microscopy analysis in patients being investigated for inflammatory bowel disease.

[Amoebic infections of the lung and pleura]. / Les atteintes pleuro-pulmonaires a Entamoeba histolytica.

INTRODUCTION: Pleuropulmonary involvement is the second most common extra-intestinal manifestation of entamoeba histolytica infection after liver abscess. CASE REPORT: We report 2 cases of pleuropulmonary disease occurring in two men aged 32 and 48 years following an episode of dysentery. Purulent pleural infection was noted in one case. In the other both lung and liver abscesses occurred. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis was confirmed by strongly positive serology in both cases. Treatment with metronidazole (1.5 g per day) for 15 days combined with pleural drainage led to a satisfactory outcome in both cases.

Thoracic complications of amebic abscess of the liver: report of 501 cases.

During an 18-year period, 501 cases of thoracic complications of amebic abscess of the liver were studied; 175 had inflammatory reactions of thoracic structures (165 with pleural effusions and pneumonitis, ten with pericarditis) and 326 ruptured through the diaphragm (175 into the airways, 106 into the pleural cavity, 5 into the pericardium, 39 into the airways and pleura, and 1 into the pleura and pericardium). The thoracic complication was preceded by a picture suggesting an acute inflammatory process or a chronic wasting disease. Depending on type, the complication itself was signaled by increase or change in character of right upper abdominal or lower thoracic pain, dyspnea, or overt respiratory insufficiency, hemoptysis, and expectoration of necrotic material, sepsis, tamponade, and shock. Chest roentgenograms showed small to massive pleural effusions, basal pneumonitis, and cardiomegaly; serology, liver scans, and induced pneumoperitoneum were diagnostic. Treatment included metronidazole and emetine, drainage of pleural or pericardial contents or promotion of bronchial drainage, and meticulous care of associated respiratory, circulatory, and systemic derangements. Mortality for cases with rupture was 11.4 percent, due mainly to sepsis, shock, respiratory insufficiency, and tamponade. The rest of the patients were discharged in cured or improved condition.

Amebic liver abscess.

Amebic liver abscess (ALA) highly endemic in most developing tropical countries is being encountered more frequently in other geographical areas maybe secondary to increased travel to areas where the disease is endemic as well as in the homosexual population. We report a classical clinical case of ALA in a 44 years old man diagnosed by ultrasound and positive seroameba titers who responded to oral imidazoles.

Hypocholesterolemia in patients with an amebic liver abscess.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Many parasites induce changes in the lipid profiles of the host. Cholesterol increases the virulence of Entamoeba histolytica in animal models and in vitro culture. This study aimed to determine, in patients with an amebic liver abscess, the correlation between cholesterol and other features, such as the size and number of abscesses, standard hematological and serum chemistry profiles, liver tests, and duration of hospital stay. METHODS: A total of 108 patients with an amebic liver abscess and 140 clinically healthy volunteers were investigated. Cholesterol and triglycerides were measured in the sera. The data from medical observations and laboratory tests were obtained from the clinical records. RESULTS: A total of 93% of patients with an amebic liver abscess showed hypocholesterolemia not related to any of the studied parameters. Liver function tests correlated with the size of the abscess. The most severe cases of amebic liver disease or death were found in patients whose cholesterol levels continued to decrease despite receiving antiamebic treatment and hospital care. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that the hypocholesterolemia observed in patients with an amebic liver abscess is not related to any of the clinical and laboratory features analyzed. This is the first study relating hypocholesterolemia to severity of hepatic amebiasis.

Residual amoebic liver abscess in a prospective renal transplant recipient.

Amoebic liver abscess (ALA) is by far the most common extraintestinal manifestation of invasive amoebiasis. The vast majority of these resolve with treatment; however, a small percentage of the treated ALAs are known to persist asymptomatically. Herein, we present a prospective renal allograft recipient with a residual liver abscess who had a successful renal transplant after treatment. In our opinion, persistence of a radiological finding of residual abscess in the absence of clinical disease does not appear to be a contraindication to renal transplantation.

[Treatment and prophylaxis of amoebiasis. New therapeutics in view (author's transl)]. / Traitement et prophylaxie des amibiases perspectives thérapeutiques nouvelles.

Problems posed by treatment of amoebiasis differ according to latitudes, safe immunologic reactions and technics of no invasive exploration allowed important progress, but diagnostic means are rarely disposable in Africa. Great progress of last ten years is owed to arrival of metronidazole and derivates under oral form and recently injectable. These therapeutics compose the base of treatment. In the first part, the author proposes a practice classification of different amoebicides in these groups; derivatives of the 5 nitro-imidazole, dehydroemetine, and other amoebicides. Structural characters, posology and the presentation of essential imidazole derivates are ouned up in a synoptic table. Pharmacokinetics characteristics, efficacy and secondary effects are studied afterwards. In a second part, indications and management are considered about means manifestations of amoebiasis.