SummaryWe have chosen four cases illustrating pitfalls and difficulties in the diagnosis of amebic colitis and the disastrous results of misdiagnosis. In many instances the correct diagnosis is not reached because of insufficient awareness of the possibility of the disease on the part of the physician, or because of his reliance on examination of the stool alone to exclude amebiasis. In other cases, as in amebic appendicitis or amebic typhlitis, the clinical picture may be identical to that of bacterial appendicitis.The most reliable test for diagnosis of the disease is the examination of material from ulcer scrapings or biopsy.Our paper is presented as a reminder that amebic infection and amebic colitis still exist and it is essential to identify them, not only for academic reasons, but mainly to ensure that the patient receives the correct treatment, thereby preventing suffering and complications that may, at times, prove fatal.