RESUMO
Intestinal amebiasis has a worldwide distribution and is common in tropical and subtropical areas. In this prospective 7-month study, we studied the main clinical findings in patients with acute amebic proctocolitis and the efficacy of Saccharomyces boulardii [SB] treatment of these patients. Initially, 57 cases with acute amebic proctocolitis were selected. The maximum occurrence of infection was found to be in the 30-39 year old age group. The patients were then randomized to two therapeutic regimens. The first included metronidazole 750 mg P.O. tid X 10 days and iodoquinol 630 mg P.O. tid X 10 days, and the second was the latter plus S. boulardii 250 mg P.O. tid x 10 days. The diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever were significantly decreased after initation of therapy in patients receiving regimen II as compared with patients of regimen I. Four weeks after the end of treatment, the two groups were examined for carrier states [presence of amebic cysts in stool, without symptoms]. In regimen I, the percentage of carriers was 19.4%, but in the patients who received regimen II, no carriers were found [P= 0.025]