title: Efficacy and tolerance of praziquantel in patients with Schistosoma mansoni infection and Symmers' fibrosis: a field study in the Sudan.
abstract: Ultrasonography was used in a village in the Gezira-Managil scheme in the Sudan to identify patients with Symmers' fibrosis. In a random sample from patients with active Schistosoma mansoni infection, 238 patients were found to have no liver involvement while 59 had Symmers' periportal fibrosis. Patients were treated with a single dose of 40 mg/kg body weight of praziquantel. Six months after dosing, 51% and 58% were cured of the infection with 81% and 84% reduction in egg burden in the Symmers' and non-Symmers' patients, respectively. The drug was equally well tolerated by the two groups. It is concluded that patients with Symmers' fibrosis respond to praziquantel and tolerate the drug in a similar manner to patients without Symmers'.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khartoum, Sudan.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Homeida
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: el Tom
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sulaiman
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Daffalla
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bennett
mesh_terms: D004361:Drug Tolerance; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000473:pathology*; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D013397:Sudan; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D011223:Praziquantel