[Amebic colitis - differential diagnosis of ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease]

Amoebic colitis rarely develops in patients who had not stayed in a country where amoebiasis is endemic. "Crohn's colitis" was diagnosed in a 33 year old female patient who never had stayed in such an area. The dramatic deterioration of the disease led to revise the early diagnosis. The reported case indicates that the conventional laboratory, endoscopic, histologic, and radiologic examinations don't prove the anamnestically unsuspected amoebic colitis. Since the correct diagnosis was verified by stool and serologic examinations, these should be performed in any doubt of a specific colitis.