Presentation and outcome of 1107 cases of schistosomiasisfrom Africa diagnosed in a non-endemic country
✍ Scribed by Christopher J.M. Whitty; David C. Mabey; Margaret Armstrong; Stephen G. Wright; Peter L. Chiodini
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 2000
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 545 KB
- Volume
- 94
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0035-9203
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✦ Synopsis
Schistosomiasis is found in a significant proportion of returning travellers and immigrants to Britain. This study is a retrospective review of 1107 consecutive cases of schistosomiasis from Africa diagnosed by microscopy or serology presenting to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, UK. 50.4% of cases were asymptomatic. The most common symptom which resolved on treatment was tiredness. Serology was positive in 951 (86%), and ova seen in 45%. Urine dipstick testing was positive for blood in 21% and protein in 15%, with eosinophilia in 44%. In this population urine dipstick, full blood count and serology were all insufficient screening tools used alone. Among patients with full follow-up data 3 months or more after treatment with praziquantel, definite treatment failure occured in 4 of 271 (1.5%), restricting the analysis to those with ova seen at diagnosis. There was no significant difference in treatment failure between 1 and 3 days of treatment. Antibody level was the same or higher than at treatment in 55% of cases seen after about 3 months and 38% after 1 year, confirming it is probably of limited clinical use in detecting treatment failure.