[Parasitic etiology of blood hypereosinophilia]

Abstract

Blood hypereosinophilia is a common finding in medical practice requiring further investigations. Parasitic diseases are a major cause of eosinophilia and eosinophilia is mainly due to helminths. The investigation of eosinophilia is a long and complicated process. The etiologic diagnosis of eosinophilia requires a review of the patient's history which may reveal travel out of country, symptoms and rate and evolution of eosinophilia. For subjects originating from a country as Tunisia, suspected parasitosis -if eosinophilia is massif- are toxocariasis, distomiasis and scabies. Anguilluliasis and ankylostomiasis will be suspected if the subject is originating from some hot and wet focus. For subjects who have traveled to tropical country, bilharziasis, anguilluliasis and ankylostomiasis will be suspected. Since filariasis and onchocerciasis are diseases by accumulation, they will be suspected if the stay has been long.