Fulminant amebic colitis (FAC) is an uncommon presentation for amebic colitis. A delay in diagnosis and surgical management can be fatal.
Clinical features:
(1) abdominal pain and/or tenderness
(2) diarrhea
(3) lower gastrointestinal bleeding (colon and/or rectum)
(4) fever
(5) tachycardia (pulse > 100 per minute)
(6) hypotension (systolic blood pressure < 90 mm Hg)
Complications:
(1) peritonitis
(2) sepsis
(3) massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage
(4) amebic liver abscess
Early and aggressive surgical management is recommended. A primary bowel anastomosis is not recommended because of a high rate of dehiscence.
The overall mortality was almost 90% in the series of Takahashi et al.
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Specialty: Infectious Diseases
ICD-10: ,
