INTESTINAL

AMOEBA
Primoris
 • Shape: Irregular
• Size: 10-60 μ
Entamoeba histolytica Trophozoite (I&H) • Cytoplasm: grayish
violet with clear
demarcation bet
ecto & endoplasm
• Endoplasm briefly
granular w/
ingested RBC
(bluish black)
• Nucleus: Single,
spherical
• Nuclear membrane:
lined by fine,
regularly arranged
chromatin granules
• Karyosome: small
and centrally
located
• Motility: active
progressive
 • Food vacuoles
Entamoeba histolytica Trophozoite with RBC
• Central
karyosome
 • Shape: Spherical
• Size: 5-20 μ
Entamoeba histolytica cyst (I&H) • Cystic wall:
Smooth, definite,
relatively thin
cystic wall
• Nuclei: 1-4
• Karyosome:
Centrally located
• Young cyst:
chromatoidal bars
w/ rounded ends
& glycogen mass
• Cytoplasm: grayish
violet, granular
• Nuclei: clearly seen
w. darkly stained
central karyosome
• Chromatoidal bars:
blue-black
• Glycogen mass:
unstained
 • Nuclei: 1-4
Entamoeba histolytica cyst • chromatoidal
bars w/
rounded ends
 • Cyst wall:
Entamoeba histolytica cyst (NSS) Refractile &
relatively thin
• Cytoplasm:
Colorless
ground-glass
appearance
• Nuclei:
Rarely visible
• *Glycogen mass:
clear / empty
space
• *Chromatoidal
bars: Refractile
 • Cytoplasm:
Entamoeba histolytica cyst (I2) greenish
yellow
• Nuclei: clearly
seen w/
central
karyosome
• *Glycogen mass:
dark yellowish
brown
• *Chromatoidal
bars: Refractile
Entamoeba histolytica (Trophozoite) Liver abcess
Entamoeba histolytica (Trophozoite) Intestinal abscess
Entamoeba histolytica
 • Shape: condensed,
thickened, round
Entamoeba coli trophozoite (I&H) mass
• Size: 15-50u
• Cytoplasm: Grayish
violet, NO clear
demarcation bet ecto
& endoplasm
• Endoplasm: highly
vacuolated w/
Bacteria
• Nucleus: Spherical w/
thick nuclear
membrane lined w/
coarse, irregular
chromatin granules
or plaques
• Karyosome:
moderately large,
eccentric
• Motility: sluggish,
rarely progressive
 • Large,
Entamoeba coli trophozoite (I&H) eccentric
karyosome
• Dirty & Highly
vacuolated
cytoplasm
 • Shape: spherical
• Size: 10-33 u
• Cystic wall: smooth,
definite, thick
• Nuclei: 1-8, clearly
visible
• Karyosome:
eccentric, darkly
stained
• Young cyst:
*chromatoidal
bars with
splintered ends
and *glycogen
mass
• Cytoplasm: granular,
grayish violet
• *Glycogen mass:
unstained

Entamoeba coli cyst (I&H)

 • Cystic wall:
Entamoeba coli cyst (NSS) Refractile
• Cytoplasm:
Colorless
• Nuclei: 1-8,
visible
refractile rings
• Karyosome:
eccentric,
darkly stained
• *Chromatoidal
bodies:
Refractile
• *Glycogen mass:
Clear/ Empty
space
 • Cytoplasm:
Yellowish brown
Entamoeba coli cyst (I2)
• Nuclei: 1-8,
Clear
• Karyosome:
eccentric
• *Chromatoidal
bodies:
Refractile
• *Glycogen mass:
dark-brown
 • Shape: Irregular
Entamoeba gingivalis • Size: 5-35u
• Cytoplasm: clear
demarcation bet
clear ecto &
granular
endoplasm
• Endoplasm:
food vacuoles
w/ bacteria &
RBC (rare)
• Nucleus: Single,
Spherical
• Karyosome:
near center
• Multiple
pseudopodia w/
progressive
directional
movement
• Source: Gingiva
 • Shape: irregular
Endolimax nana trophozoite (I&H) • Size: small, 6-15u
• Cytoplasm:
Grayish violet,
vacuolated w/
bacteria
• Endoplasm:
highly vacuolated
w/ Bacteria
• Nucleus: Small,
spherical, single
• Karyosome:
large, irregular,
central or
eccentric
 • Shape: oval

Endolimax nana cyst (I&H) • Size: 6-10 u

• Cystic wall:
smooth,
definite,
• Nuclei: 1-4,
clearly visible
• Karyosome:
eccentric, darkly
stained
• Cytoplasm:
grayish granular
• Chromatoidal bodies:
deeply stained
small slightly
curved rods
 • Cystic wall:
Refractile
• Nuclei: faintly
visible
• Cytoplasm:
Colorless

Endolimax nana cyst (NSS)

 • Cystic wall:
Endolimax nana cyst (I2) Refractile
• Nuclei: visible
as dots
• Cytoplasm:
Yellowish
• *Glycogen mass:
diffused with
ill-defined
margins
 • Shape: irregular

Iodamoeba buetschlii cyst (I&H) • Size: 6-15 u

• Cystic wall:
smooth, definite,
• Nuclei: single
(rarely 2), visible
Glycogen vacuole 
• Large glycogen
vacuole:
unstained
• Cytoplasm: violet-
gray granular
• *Chromatoidal bodies:
deeply stained
small rods
 • Cystic wall:
Iodamoeba buetschlii cyst (NSS) Refractile,
thick
• Nucleus: NOT
visible
• Large glycogen
vacuole:
unstained/emp
ty space
• Cytoplasm:
Colorless
 • Nucleus: may be
Iodamoeba buetschlii cyst (I2) visible
• Large glycogen
vacuole: dark-
brown
• Cytoplasm:
Glycogen vacuole  Yellowish