Effectiveness of diethylcarbamazine in treating loiasis acquired by expatriate visitors to endemic regions: long-term follow-up.
Although successful treatment of loiasis with diethylcarbamazine (DEC) has been reported, little is known about the long-term success rate of therapy or the predisposing factors for treatment failure. To address these questions, 32 patients were followed 2-15 years (median, 4.5) after DEC treatment; all had acquired infection while expatriate visitors to endemic areas of Africa. Using a strict definition of successful treatment, 12 (38%) appeared to be cured after one course of therapy and 5(16%) after two courses. Of the remaining 15 patients, 3 continued to be symptomatic despite more than four courses of treatment. Although 12 of the 17 patients who relapsed did so within 1 year of treatment, several had relatively long asymptomatic periods (2-8 years). There was no predictive difference in clinical or laboratory parameters (including eosinophilia and specific filarial serology) between patients requiring one or more courses of therapy.
Klion
A D
AD
Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City.
Ottesen
E A
EA
Nutman
T B
TB
D004049:Diethylcarbamazine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008118:Loiasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission; D012008:Recurrence; D014195:Travel
D004049:Diethylcarbamazine