Stool Microscopy by wet mount; Cysts and trophozoites an be demonstrated
Stool culture:
Gold standard
Not done routinely
Polyxenic cultures: with bacterial supplement, eg., NIH medium
Axenic cultures: without bacterial supplement, eg., diamonds medium
Stool Antigendetection/coproantigen:
ELISA detecting 170 kDa of lectin antigen: for species identification.
ICT is also employed
Serological Antigen and Antibody detection with ELISA,IFA: suggsts recent or active infection
Isoenzyme/Zymodene analysis;
differentiates E. histolytica and E. dispar
isoenzymes are subjected to electro phoresis leading to characteristic electro phoretic pattern (zymodeme pattern)
Molecular methods: Nested multiplex PCR and RT PCR
Treatment:
Metronidazole; 500-750 mg PO q8hr for 5-10 days
Or
Tinidazole: 2 g/day PO for 3 day