Nondysenteric Intestinal Amebiasis

Abstract

Diloxanide furoate, an investigational, amebicidal drug in the United States, was given in a ten-day course of 500 mg three times a day. This therapy led to parasitologic and symptomatic cure in all 12 asymptomatic cyst carriers and in 52 of 65 patients with nondysenteric, symptomatic, intestinal amebiasis who had all contractedEntamoeba histolyticainfections while abroad. Criteria for cure were the absence of E histolytica parasites in three complete stool examinations, one and three months following completion of treatment, and complete or marked symptomatic improvement. Excessive flatulence was a common, but the only significant side effect. The high effectiveness (83% cure rate), relative ease of administration, and minimal toxicity of diloxanide furoate indicates that this drug has numerous advantages over other primarily luminal-acting amebicides presently available in this country for the treatment of chronic amebiasis.