[Hepatic amebiasis]

The authors report the case of a 30 year-old man, who had recently been to Africa, admitted due to fever and pain in the epigastrium and in the right hypocondrius. The evaluation led to the diagnosis of hepatic amebiasis. The patient was treated accordingly with success. The authors further review hepatic amebiasis, including the epidemiology, diagnostic means and ways of treatment, focusing on medical and surgical approaches and their controversies. The interest of the description of such a clinical case and the review that was made is derived from the current impact of globalization of the economy and its respective consequences due frequent trips to endemic countries. A detailed clinical history, including the epidemiology, is paramount for the suspicion of this diagnosis. Immediate treatment is mandatory, without which the patient may be at risk of serious complications.