A case of amoebic proctitis misdiagnosed as ulcerative proctitis

doi:10.12140/j.issn.1000-7423.2025.06.021

CHINESE JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY AND PARASITIC DISEASES ›› 2025, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (6): 877-880.doi: 10.12140/j.issn.1000-7423.2025.06.021

• CASE REPORT • Previous Articles

A case of amoebic proctitis misdiagnosed as ulcerative proctitis

ZHENG Huazhen¹(), WANG Ziqi¹, JIANG Hongye¹, WU Xiaodan², ZHENG Huijie¹^,^*()

¹ Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First People’s Hospital of Foshan (Foshan Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and Technology), School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Foshan 528000, Guangdong, China
² College of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, Guangdong, China

Received:2025-08-09 Revised:2025-11-11 Online:2025-12-30 Published:2025-12-26
Contact: *E-mail：841203529@qq.com
Supported by:
National Natural Science Foundation of China Youth Program(82202570);Foshan “14th Five-Year Plan” High-Level Medical Key Specialty(202201010265);Foshan Science and Technology Bureau Technological Innovation Project(2320001006781)

Abstract

Abstract:

This article reports a case of a 59-year-old female patient presenting with hematochezia and lower abdominal pain. Colonoscopy revealed rectal ulcers, and histopathology showed acute inflammation, leading to an initial diagnosis of ulcerative proctitis. After one month of standard anti-inflammatory therapy without clinical improvement, the diagnosis was revised to amoebic proctitis through stool microscopy combined with targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS). The patient showed rapid symptomatic relief following anti-amebic treatment. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges of Entamoeba histolytica proctitis, including nonspecific clinical manifestations, endoscopic and pathological findings lacking specificity, and the limited sensitivity of conventional pathogen detection methods. For patients with treatment-refractory intestinal ulcers, molecular diagnostic techniques should be actively employed to improve diagnostic accuracy and prevent misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.

Key words: Entamoeba histolytica, Ulcerative proctitis, Targeted next-generation sequencing, misdiagnosis

CLC Number:

R531.1

ZHENG Huazhen, WANG Ziqi, JIANG Hongye, WU Xiaodan, ZHENG Huijie. A case of amoebic proctitis misdiagnosed as ulcerative proctitis[J]. CHINESE JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY AND PARASITIC DISEASES, 2025, 43(6): 877-880.

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References 15

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A case of amoebic proctitis misdiagnosed as ulcerative proctitis

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