The stool examination reports amoeba cysts: should you treat in the face of over diagnosis and lack of specificity of light microscopy?

Lawson, Lovett, Bailey, Wendi, Beeching, Nicholas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7019-8791, Gurgel, R. G. and Cuevas, Luis ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6581-0587 (2004) 'The stool examination reports amoeba cysts: should you treat in the face of over diagnosis and lack of specificity of light microscopy?'. Tropical Doctor, Vol 34, Issue 1, pp. 28-30.

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Abstract

Amoebiasis is a common clinical diagnosis in tropical settings and clinicians continue to treat asymptomatic carriers diagnosed by light microscopy. A minority of carriers, however, are infected with Entamoeba histolytica and the remaining with the non-pathogenic Entamoeba dispar. We compared the diagnostic results of 298 asymptomatic residents of Aracaju, Brazil, obtained by different diagnostic methods, and ascertained their clinical symptoms, to highlight the implications for practitioners. Fifty-eight (19.4%) specimens were amoebae positive by microscopy. Of these, 38 (13%) were E. histolytica/E. dispar enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) positive and 4 (1%) E histolytica ELISA positive. The frequent use of anti-amoebic treatment on the basis of non-specific symptoms and the findings of light microscopy tests is not justified. Methods for the specific diagnosis of E. histolytica infection for developing countries are urgently needed.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Check DOI. Tropical doctor not available on-line until 2005. MC 24/4/12
Uncontrolled Keywords:	entamoeba-histolytica infection brazil dispar
Subjects:	QY Clinical Pathology > Diagnostic Tests > QY 160 Feces WB Practice of Medicine > Diagnosis > General Diagnosis > WB 141 General works WC Communicable Diseases > Infection. Bacterial Infections > Enteric Infections > WC 285 Amebic dysentery. Amebiasis
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1177/004947550403400114
Depositing User:	Martin Chapman
Date Deposited:	24 Apr 2012 13:44
Last Modified:	29 Nov 2024 14:38
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/2247

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