title: Extra-intestinal amebiasis: clinical presentation in a non-endemic setting.
abstract: 37/38 patients with reciprocal titers > or = 512 against Entamoeba histolytica in Denmark over a 5-year period were evaluated retrospectively in order to establish the clinical profile of extra-intestinal amebiasis in a non-endemic area. 24 of these had extra-intestinal amebiasis, all presenting 1 or more amebic liver abscesses on ultrasonography. Fever was the most common finding, present in 91% of the cases. The most striking observation was the lack of both abdominal pain and tenderness in 22% of the patients with liver abscess. Pulmonary symptoms and abnormal chest X-rays were each recorded in 45% of the cases. Liver abscesses with or without pulmonary involvement were the only extra-intestinal manifestations recorded. The condition was initially misconceived in more than half the cases, but most of the patients responded well once treatment with metronidazole was started.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Hvidovre Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thorsen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rønne-Rasmussen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Isager
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Seefeldt
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mathiesen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D004748:Entamoeba histolytica / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004749:Entamoebiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies