Thoraco-Hepatic Amebiasis

¹ The Medical and Surgical Services, Veterans Administration Hospital, Wood, Wisconsin, and Marquette University School of Medicine.

1) Ten cases of thoraco-hepatic amebiasis are presented. Five of these cases were proven by isolation of the causative organism and the remainder were diagnosed on presumptive clinical and operative findings. Adequate clinical response to therapeutic management was observed in eight patients. In one instance, thoraco-hepatic amebiasis was not diagnosed until necropsy. One patient left against medical advice and could not be completely studied.

2) The most common locale for the original infestation with E. Histolytica was the Pacific area, however, three patients who never left the continental limits of the United States, were found to have systemic amebiasis. It is pointed out that each imported case of parasitic infestation may be a source for endemic spread of the disease.

3) The frequent absence of intestinal symptomatology in the clinical history, and the preponderance of chest symptoms with right upper abdominal pain, as the presenting major complaints, was striking. The observation of changes in the chest teleoroentgenograms was occasionally diagnostic, and as a rule, appreciably helpful in arriving at the proper clinical evaluation.

4) The medical and surgical management of thoraco-hepatic amebiasis as a complication of systemic infestation, is discussed.