Nagata et al identified risk factors for amebic colitis in Japan. Amebic colitis may be initially misdiagnosed as another form of colitis in a developed country. The authors are from the National Center for Global Health and Medicine in Tokyo and Kohnodai Hospital in Chiba.
Risk factors for invasive amebic colitis by multivariate analysis:
(1) male gender
(2) age < 50 years
(3) history of syphilis
(4) HIV infection
Other factors to consider:
(1) being or having contact with commercial sex worker
(2) anal intercourse if HIV-positive
(3) history of HBV infection
In HIV-positive patients a low CD4 lymphocyte count was not a risk factor for amebic colitis. The prevalence of amebic colitis decreased as the the CD4 count declined.
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