Squamous cell carcinoma associated with amoebic cervicitis. Report of a case

A case of squamous cell carcinoma associated with amebiasis is presented. Protozoa identified as Entamoeba histolytica were found in a routine Papanicolaou smear and in the cervical biopsy of a young woman following the initial diagnosis of cervical cancer and the institution of a radiation therapy regimen. No amoebae were found in repeated stool specimens. The late detection and diagnosis of amebiasis precluded any possible changes in the management of the case. Initial follow-up for the carcinoma demonstrated that the patient was not responding well to therapy; her failure to return to the clinic precluded long-term follow-up and treatment for the amebiasis.