ABSTRACT
The diseases caused by Entamoeba histolytica are usually treated with drugs, although under special circumstances it may be necessary to resort to surgical procedures. The development of axenic culture media for Entamoeba histolytica opened new fields of research such as nucleic acid synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism and adaptation of the parasite to environmental changes. Protein synthesis in mammalian cells is irreversibly inhibited by emetine, a drug which binds to the ribosomes of the ameba. The drug or the combination of drugs used to treat diseases caused by Entamoeba histolytica may vary depending on the reports that are consulted and trusted, and on the personal experience accumulated by the physician. Amebomas are treated conservatively with dehydroemetine and metronidazole. Amebomas may sometimes persist after specific pharmacological treatment and the differential diagnosis with other entities — foremost cancer of the colon — may be difficult.
