Jian Bo, Kolansky Ana S, Baloach Zubair W, Gupta Prabodh K
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
Cytojournal. 2008 Sep 30;5:12. doi: 10.4103/1742-6413.43179.
Entamoeba gingivalis (E. gingivalis ) is a parasitic protozoa of the oral cavity, most often found in gingival tissues around the teeth associated with poor oral hygiene. Here, we report a case of E. gingivalis in a pulmonary CT guided fine needle aspiration material, from a 60-year-old man with newly found lung mass. On site Diff-Quik smear examination revealed the presence of marked acute inflammation, colonies of actinomyces, and a number of 'large macrophages-like organisms'. Upon examination of the additional material, organisms morphologically consistent with E. gingivalis were identified. Pulmonary mass resolved after six weeks of treatment with antibiotics (Clindamycin followed by Penicillin). Proper recognition and distinction between E. gingivalis and other species of Entamoeba is important for the management of patients.