Prevalence and clinical features of Dientamoeba fragilis infections in patients suspected to have intestinal parasitic infection

Abstract

The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence and clinical features of dientamoebiasis in patients presumed to be infected with intestinal parasites. A total of 168 patients were examined for D. fragilis using microscopy (after Wheatley's trichrome staining) and culture (using modified Boeck and Drbohlav's medium). D. fragilis trophozoites were detected in 15 samples (8.9%) examined using trichrome staining and in 50 samples (29.8%) by culture method. Other enteric parasites were common in the study population as 48.8% of patients (82/168) were found harboring intestinal parasites. Blastocystis hominis was the most common, identified in 33.3% (56/168) of the samples. Giardia lamblia was detected in 17.9% (30/168) and E. histolytica/E. dispar in 11.9% (20/168). The symptoms most frequently encountered were diarrhea, abdominal pain and weight loss and fatigue. Diarrhea and abdominal pain were significantly more frequent in patients with dientamoebiasis compared to non pathogenic cases (P < 0.05). Diarrhea was 38.5% of patients infected with D. fragilis compared to 50% of patients infected with G. lamblia, while abdominal pain was encountered with D. fragilis in 41% compared to 33.3% with G. lamblia. These differences were insignificant (P > 0.05).