A case of acute hepatitis E combined with amoebic colitis

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of outbreaks of water-borne hepatitis in developing countries and of sporadic cases of viral hepatitis. The transmission of HEV occurs predominantly by the fecal-oral route, although parenteral and perinatal routes have been implicated. The death rate is 0.5~3% among young adults and 15~20% for pregnant women. Intestinal amoebiasis is caused by the protozoan Entamoeba histolytica. Worldwide, approximately 40 to 50 million people develop colitis or extra-intestinal disease. Although most infections are asymptomatic, amoebic dysentery, amoebic liver abscesses and, rarely, other manifestations involving lung, heart, or brain can occur. We report a case of hepatitis E combined with amoebic colitis in a patient who traveled to an endemic area and review the literature. (Korean J Med 77:S1133-S1136, 2009)