Combined role of Casoni test and indirect haemagglutination test in the diagnosis of hydatid disease.
OBJECTIVE
To study the combined role of Casoni test and indirect haemagglutination (IHA) test in the diagnosis of hydatid disease.


METHODS
Twenty eight suspected cases of hydatid disease were subjected to Casoni intradermal test using commercially available antigen (Span Diagnostics, India) after collecting pre-test serum samples. The serum samples were tested by IHA using an indigenously developed IHA test.


RESULTS
Considering the clinical diagnosis of hydatid disease as the gold standard, the specificity of both Casoni test and IHA was 47%, however, the sensitivity of IHA was higher (81.8%) than Casoni test (63.8%). With the two tests considered together the sensitivity was 90.9%.


CONCLUSIONS
Combined use of Casoni test and IHA test could establish presumptive and cost effective diagnosis in upto 90.9% of clinically suspected cases of hydatid disease.
Dept. of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, University College of Medicine, Kolkata - 700 020, India.
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