Primary pulmonary amebic abscess in a patient with pulmonary adenocarcinoma: a case report.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Primary pulmonary amoeba is very rare and here we report a case of a 68-year-old man presenting with primary pulmonary amoeba after undergoing chemotherapy for lung adenocarcinoma.

CASE PRESENTATION:

In October 2016, the man aged 68 was admitted to our hospital because of repeated cough for 8 months and hemoptysis for 1 month. He was diagnosed lung adenocarcinoma and underwent surgery in 2012 without receiving chemotherapy. In March 2016, the patients suffered recurrence of cancer and was treated with chemotherapy. After 2 months of chemotherapy, the patient had consistent cough with white sputum, and chest CT showed a local lung nodule. The physicians suspected that the patient had pulmonary infectious diseases, and he was treated with empirical antibacterial treatment. However, his symptom wasn't relieved and later the percutaneous lung biopsy found trophozites of Entamoeba histolytica. After administration of metronidazole, the symptoms of the patient were markedly relieved and the lesions were absorbed.

CONCLUSIONS:

In such cases where patients with pulmonary nodules were in immunodeficiency state and had adequate but ineffective anti-bacterial treatment, Entamoeba histolytica infection could be one of the rare causes. Percutaneous lung biopsy should be recommended and specific dying for parasites should be done when necessary.

• Authors: Yuan-Yuan Liu, Yue Ying, Chong Chen, Yue-Kai Hu, Fei-Fei Yang, Ling-Yun Shao, Xun-Jia Cheng, Yu-Xian Huang
• Journal: Infectious diseases of poverty (Infect Dis Poverty) Vol. 7 Issue 1 Pg. 34 (Apr 27 2018) ISSN: 2049-9957 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 29699585 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Antiprotozoal Agents
• Metronidazole

Topics

• Adenocarcinoma (drug therapy, surgery)
• Adenocarcinoma of Lung
• Aged
• Amebiasis (diagnosis, drug therapy, parasitology)
• Antineoplastic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Antiprotozoal Agents (therapeutic use)
• China
• Entamoeba histolytica (isolation & purification)
• Humans
• Lung Diseases, Parasitic (diagnosis, drug therapy, parasitology)
• Lung Neoplasms (drug therapy, surgery)
• Male
• Metronidazole (therapeutic use)