[Intestinal parasitosis and hepatic cirrhosis]

Abstract

The authors describe their experience, in a prospective survey, with the prevalence rates of intestinal parasites in patients with hepatic cirrhosis admitted to the Gastroenterology Unit of University Hospital of Federal University in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, whose fresh stools were examined by Hoffman-Pons-Janner, Baermann-Moraes and Willis methods. They compare the results of stool exams with two control groups and look for a relation with cirrhosis' etiology. A higher prevalence of some parasites was observed in cirrhosis than in people with other digestive diseases (group I). mainly for the Strongyloides stercoralis, found in 40.2%, chiefly in alcoholic cirrhosis. Oddly no one of the group I admitted in the same period had strongyloidiasis. Another group including all the people who had stool samples examined in the same period at the hospital had 1.91% of that helmintic infection (group II). A comparison is also made with the prevalence in schoolchildren between the ages of 7 and 14 studies eight years before (13.16%). Other parasites were also observed in different incidence between those with cirrhosis and the other groups and the results are presented. They conclude that hepatic cirrhosis must be included in the list of conditions which increases the risk of Strongyloides stercoralis infection.

PIP: In a prospective study conducted between July 1995 and June 1996 the prevalence of intestinal parasites is described in 35 (32 male, 3 female) patients with hepatic cirrhosis, aged 13-77 years, who had been admitted to the gastroenterology unit of the Federal University in Juiz de Fora, Brazil. The causes of cirrhosis were: alcohol (19 cases), hepatitis B virus (HBV) (3 cases), hepatitis C virus (HCV) (5 cases), HBV and HCV (2 cases), cryptogenetics (3 cases), Wilson's disease (1 case), biliary cirrhosis (1 case), and Gaucher's disease (1 case). Another 45 patients who were hospitalized during this period served as controls (Group I). Group II was comprised of 1411 persons who underwent parasitological tests during December 1995 and May 1996. Comparison was also made with 7371 tests performed in children aged 7-14 years who had been studied in 1988. Stools were examined by the Hoffman-Pons-Janner, Baermann-Moraes, and Willis methods. The results of stool exams were compared with those of the two control groups. A higher prevalence of some parasites was observed in cirrhosis patients than in patients with other digestive diseases (Group I). Of the 35 cirrhosis patients, 19 presented with positive parasite tests. Strongyloides stercoralis was found in 40.2%, chiefly in alcoholic cirrhosis patients, which was significant when compared to the other two control groups, but not significant when compared to the patients with nonalcoholic cirrhosis (4 cases of strongyloidiasis out of 16 patients). None of the 45 patients in Group I had strongyloidiasis. Group II (including all the people who had stool samples examined during the same period in the hospital) had a 1.91% rate of helminthic infection. A rate of 13.16% was found in the children's group.