Ameboma, a rare cause of intestinal obstruction in bariatric surgery patients: a case report

Ameboma is a rare complication of invasive amebiases caused by the intestinal protozoan <i>Entamoeba histolytica</i>. The disease is characterized by tumorous, exophytic, inflammatory masses in the lower-right quadrant of the abdomen. Symptoms are nonspecific but may include intestinal obstruction and gastrointestinal bleeding. Although computed tomography and ultrasound can identify colonic masses, biopsy is the most accurate diagnostic method for ameboma. Differential diagnosis includes Crohn's disease and colon carcinoma. Treatment involves killing the trophozoites in most cases and surgical intervention in patients with intestinal obstruction or perforation, phlegmon, or toxic megacolon. This study reports a case of intestinal obstruction caused by ameboma within the ascending colon of a bariatric surgery patient.