Amebic colitis presenting as acute inflammatory bowel disease. Case report.

A 41-year-old woman who had lived in the tropics for 23 years developed a clinical picture of inflammatory bowel disease 4 years after resettlement in Sweden. Search for ova and trophozoites in stools was negative. As medical treatment was unsuccessful, total colectomy was considered. Repeated colonic endoscopy with multiple biopsies initially failed to show amebiasis, but subsequently the trophozoites were identified in biopsies from the rectosigmoid mucosa. The diagnosis was serologically confirmed. Metronidazole treatment was rapidly and lastingly effective.