The effect of praziquantel treatment on liver and spleen size of children with schistosomiasis in Napu Valley, central Sulawesi.
Forty-six school children with japonicum schistosomiasis living in a village at Napu Valley, Indonesia were treated with praziquantel at a dosage of 70 mg/kg in two divided doses in a day. The number of children with palpable liver dropped significantly from 95.6% before treatment to 58.7% after treatment. The size of the liver was reduced in the majority of cases with a virtual disappearance of cases with very large liver (10 cm). Post-treatment increase of the liver size was observed in all 8 cases with small pre-treatment livers (0.5-1 cm). In contrast to the changes of the size of the liver after treatment, the number of children with palpable spleens before and after treatment was not significantly altered.
Hadidjaja
P
P
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, Jakarta.
Ismid
I S
IS
Sudomo
M
M
Syamsuddin
N
N
Putrali
J
J
Campbell
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006529:Hepatomegaly / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia; D008297:Male; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012554:Schistosomiasis japonica / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*
D011223:Praziquantel