An amebic lung abscess: report of a case

Recently the number of amebiasis cases has increased in Japan. Pleuropulmonary amebiasis is a very rare complication of liver amebiasis. We report herein the case of a 54-year-old man presenting with an amebic lung abscess in his right lower lung. The diagnosis of lung amebiasis was established from a direct examination of the pus in which trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica were detected. After the oral administration of metronidazole, the laboratory findings improved and he thus underwent a right lower lobectomy. He was discharged without any relapse of infection 20 days after a thoracotomy. We conclude that a protozoan infection should thus be suspected in the case of a pleuropulmonary infection in which several types of antibiotics prove to be ineffective.