[Microscopic diagnosis of amebiasis: an obsolete method but necessary in the developing world]

Molecular biology-based diagnosis offers the best approach to detect amebiasis, but remains impractical in the clinical laboratories from the developing world. In these areas, the microscopic diagnosis remains the routine method. It is imperative that a series of fresh stool specimens be examined. The use of a concentration method should become a routine procedure. Permanent stained smears is the most critical and reliable diagnostic method for the microscopic detection of intestinal protozoa. If the direct or concentrate wet mounts were considered as a preliminary examination; and the use of iron-hematoxylin stained smears become a routine procedure, many of the misdiagnosis that frequently occur could be avoided. The iron-hematoxylin stained preparation is the method of choice for the microscopic detection of E. histolytica/E. dispar and other intestinal protozoa.