Abstract

Amebiasis caused by Entamoeba histolytica is one of the most fatal parasitic diseases. The infection is acquired by ingestion of contaminated food and water and is endemic in developing countries with poor sanitation. It presents as asymptomatic infection or acute proctocolitis to acute fulminant colitis with high mortality rates. Both the clinical presentation and the endoscopic appearance of colonic amebiasis can mimic colon carcinoma. Colorectal cancer is an increasingly important public health problem worldwide. Colorectal cancers have the highest incidence among malignancies after lung cancer, breast cancer in women, and prostate cancer in men. Colon cancer is often sporadic and related to risk factors such as age, race, diet, and the presence of inflammatory bowel disease. Hereditary colon malignancies are most commonly associated with Lynch syndrome and genetic polyposis syndromes. Histological diagnosis is always essential for diagnosis of malignancy. However, it is essential to look beyond those malignant glands into surrounding tissue of tiny bits for better patient management. In this regard, amoebiasis may not only mimic carcinoma but, rarely, may coexist with carcinoma. Here, we present a rare case of coexisting adenocarcinoma and amoebiasis in the same patient diagnosed on biopsy.

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