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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · J Lab Physicians 2018; 10(02): 251-254
DOI: 10.4103/JLP.JLP_129_17
Case Report

Entamoeba histolytica: A surprising coexistence with adenocarcinoma – Never brush aside brushings for biopsy

Palvi Goel
Department of Pathology, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
,
Ruchita Tyagi
Department of Pathology, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
,
Gursheen Kaur
Department of Cardiology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
,
Bhavna Garg
Department of Pathology, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
,
Pavneet Kaur Selhi
Department of Pathology, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
,
Harpreet Kaur
Department of Pathology, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
,
Varun Mehta
Department of Gastroenterology, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
,
Neena Sood
Department of Pathology, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
› Author Affiliations Financial support and sponsorship Nil.
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Abstract

Entamoeba histolytica has been rarely reported as superadded infection over carcinomatous growth on rectal brushings. We present a case of 68-year-old male who presented with abdominal pain and bleeding per rectum who was found to have an ulceroproliferative growth on sigmoidoscopy. Rectal brushings revealed coexistence of E. histolytica with malignant cells of adenocarcinoma. No organism was detected on biopsy of the tumor, which also showed adenocarcinoma, because of possible surface colonization of the tumor by Entamoeba. This case highlights the role of rectal brushings in detecting superadded infection in a case where both brushings and biopsy were performed. It is always important to report infection superadded on malignancies for optimum management of the patients.

Keywords

Adenocarcinoma - brushings - Entamoeba - rectal - superadded


Publication History

Received: 10 August 2017

Accepted: 27 November 2017

Article published online:
19 February 2020

© 2018.

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