title: Chronic strongyloidiasis in Tasmanian veterans--clinical diagnosis by the use of a screening index.
abstract: Chronic infection with Strongyloides stercoralis presents a diagnostic problem because of the low recovery of the organism from stools and the insensitivity of current serological tests. Of 150 former Far East POWs, 26 (17%) had S. stercoralis in stools. The clinical features in 18 stool-positive patients were compared to those in 24 stool-negative patients and showed that strongyloidiasis was associated with a higher frequency of alteration in bowel habit, upper abdominal discomfort, rash and eosinophilia. On the basis of these features, a screening index was devised which largely separated stool-positive and stool-negative patients and led to helpful therapy in three of four patients with compatible symptoms who lacked a definitive diagnosis. Treatment with thiabendazole appeared to be superior to treatment with mebendazole.
authors.affiliation: Repatriation General Hospital, Hobart, Tasmania.
authors.forename: N W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Rowbottom
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sexton
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Goldsmid
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Byard
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tooth
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Thomson
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis; D000818:Animals; D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000175:diagnosis; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008463:Mebendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009098:Multiphasic Screening / Q000592:standards*; D012015:Reference Standards; D013321:Strongyloides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology; D013648:Tasmania / Q000208:ethnology; D013827:Thiabendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014728:Veterans
chemical_list: D008463:Mebendazole; D013827:Thiabendazole