K. Ohnishi et M. Murata, TREATMENT OF SYMPTOMATIC AMEBIC-COLITIS IN HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS-INFECTED PERSONS, International journal of antimicrobial agents, 7(4), 1996, pp. 231-233
While most Entamoeba histolytica appearing in male homosexuals infecte
d with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is considered non-invasive i
n Western countries, and treatment of amebiasis in these persons has r
eceived very little attention, in Japan some male homosexual amebiasis
patients infected with HIV complain of symptoms attributable to E. hi
stolytica infection. We investigated whether symptomatic E histolytica
amebic colitis in HIV-infected persons requires higher doses or longe
r duration of antiamebic drug therapy than in non HIV-infected patient
s. Four symptomatic amebic colitis patients infected with HIV-1, three
of them severely immunocompromised, with CD4 cell counts <200/mm(3),
were treated with oral metronidazole: 1500 mg a day for 10 days in 2 p
atients, 1000 mg a day for 10 days in 1 patient, and 1000 mg a day for
6 days and then 750 mg for 4 days in 1 patient, and good therapeutic
results with no side effects were obtained. This indicates that sympto
matic amebic colitis in HIV-infected persons can be successfully treat
ed with metronidazole at the same dose and duration of treatment used
in non-HIV-infected persons. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science B.V.