Differentiation of entamoeba histolytica from entamoeba dispar using Gal/GalNAc-lectin and polymerase chain reaction Background: Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar are morphologically identical.However, the former is highly pathogenic and the latter is not.Aim: To differentiate Entamoeba histolytica from Entamoeba dispar through ELISA and PCR techniques in Colombian isolates from feces.Material and Methods: Descriptive study of Colombian fecal samples from 53 males and 47 women, that were positive for the complex E. histolytica/E.dispar on light microscopy.Positive samples were cultured on Robinson medium to isolate trophozoites.The presence of specifi c Gal/ GalNAc-lectin was determined by ELISA and polymerase chain reaction in genomic DNA, using the combination of three nucleotides that recognize a variable region of 16S small subunit ribosomal RNA, generating a 166 base pair (bp) product for E. histolytica and 752 pb product for E. dispar.Results: After verifi cation, only eight of the 100 samples were positive for the complex E. histolytica/E.dispar and were cultivated.Isolates were obtained in six cultures, one corresponded to E. histolytica and six to E. dispar.Conclusions: The presence of E. histolytica/E.dispar complex was largely overestimated with light microscopy.In the few samples where isolates were obtained, the technique described differentiated between both strains.(