All issues > Volume 50(12); 2007

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2007;50(12):1257-1260. Published online December 15, 2007.

A case of neonatal amoebiasis with after-birth vomiting and bloody stool

Jimin JM Kahng¹, So-Young SY Kim²

¹Departments of Laboratory Medicine, Catholic University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
²Departments of Pediatrics, Catholic University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence So-Young SY Kim ,Email: sykimped@catholic.ac.kr

Abstract

E. histolytica has a simple life cycle with two stages: an infective cyst and an invasive trophozoite. It lives on humans as its host. Its infection occurs through the ingestion of the cyst form, and the disease begins when the trophozoite, converted at the small intestine, adheres to colonic epithelial cells with a latent period of two days to four months. In some instances, amoebic abscess formations can occur at the liver, lung, brain, or spleen via the lymphoid system. Rare cases of amoebiasis in neonates have been reported, much less any intrauterine infections in the world that may have occurred during the gestation period. We've recently experienced a case of neonatal amoebiasis that entailed after-birth vomiting and bloody stool. The infant seemed pre-infected with E. histolytica before birth.

Keywords :Entamoeba histolytica, Infection, Infant, Newborn