title: [Blastocystis hominis and abdominal pain in childhood].
abstract: We report the clinical features observed in 10 children, ranging from 5 1/12 to 13 7/12 years of age, with intestinal infections caused by Blastocystis hominis. A parasitological study of the stools was made by using the ethyl-acetate formol concentration technique and a count of the number of B. hominis per field was performed. In 8 of the cases, no other enteropathogens (viruses, bacteria or other parasites) were found, whereas in 2 cases Giardia lamblia was also isolated. Nine out of ten of the patients presented with abdominal pain. In three of the cases it appeared as a pseudo-appendicular ailment which led to an appendectomy. Those children who were treated with metronidazole and those who were not treated with antibiotic recovered satisfactorily.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Pediatría, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fleta Zaragozano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clavel Parrilla
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Castillo García
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bueno Lozano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarría Chueca
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D016776:Blastocystis Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D016845:Blastocystis hominis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003092:Colitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000469:parasitology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D008795:Metronidazole