A case of amebiasis in the newborn period

신생아에서 나타난 아메바증 1례

Entamoeba histolytica (E. histolytica) is a worldwide protozoan parasite causing a wide rage of intestinal disease in human, including asymptomatic cyst carriage, acute diarrhea, fulminant dysentery, and chronic nondysenteric colitis. Extraintestinal amebiasis such as hepatic abscess also occurs. Spread of the infection occurs due to consumption of food and water that is contaminated with the cyst. Amebiasis is rarely reported in the newborn period. We report a case of a 6-day-old female newborn with watery diarrhea that progressed to bloody mucoid diarrhea with persistent fever. The fresh stool microscopic examination disclosed E. histolytica trophozoites. She was born of spontaneous vaginal delivery at 41 weeks of gestation after premature rupture of membrane. She was given breast-feeding after birth, then entered postpartum care center. Her mother's stool microscopic examination showed negative result. Infection might have occurred from giving sweetened water following birth or contamination of the baby's bottles at the postpartum care center. She was treated with oral metronidazole for 24 days.

본 저자들은 발열과 점액성 혈변을 보인 신생아에서 대변 현미경 검사를 통해 이질아메바를 진단하고 metronidazole 경구 투약 후 증상의 호전과 이질아메바의 제거를 경험하였기에 문헌 고찰과 함께 보고하는 바이다.