Clinical versus ultrasound examination in the evaluation of hepatosplenic schistosomiasis mansoni in endemic areas.
The best way to appraise the size of abdominal organs remains undefined. Herein we compare the size of liver and spleen in hepatosplenic schistosomiasis using clinical and ultrasound (US) examination, and the size of the organs measured by US with their visualization below the costal margin ("palpable by US"). For this study, 411 individuals from an endemic area for schistosomiasis mansoni in Brazil have been selected. We found that palpable spleens and left liver lobes are larger than non palpable ones. Also, 23% of normal spleens measured by US were palpable on clinical examination, and 22% of spleens increased in size on US were non palpable. A total of 21% of normal spleens were "palpable by US". We also found 54% of normal sized right liver lobes palpable on clinical examination, whilst 54% of the increased livers, measured by US, were non palpable. About 76% of normal right liver lobes were "palpable by US". We conclude that the association of clinical, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations, in the near future, should give the investigators the necessary tools to perform a more accurate clinical diagnosis of hepatosplenic schistosomiasis mansoni.
Marinho
Carolina Coimbra
CC
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
Voieta
Izabela
I
Azeredo
Letícia Martins
LM
Nishi
Marina Pires
MP
Batista
Thaís Sanai
TS
Pereira
Ana Carolina Figueiredo
AC
Serufo
José Carlos
JC
Queiroz
Leonardo Campos de
LC
Ruiz-Guevara
Raiza
R
Antunes
Carlos Maurício
CM
Prata
Aluízio
A
Lambertucci
José Roberto
JR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008109:Liver Diseases, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010173:Palpation; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D014463:Ultrasonography