title: Evaluation of patients diagnosed with fascioliasis: A six-year experience at a university hospital in Turkey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this study, clinical, laboratory, radiological, and serological examinations of fascioliasis patients were analyzed, and data with a significant impact on differential diagnosis were evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical, radiological, and laboratory findings and treatment responses of a total of 22 fascioliasis patients, treated between October 2009 and September 2014, were evaluated. Nineteen patients were diagnosed with fascioliasis at the invasive phase and three patients at the chronic phase. Patients were followed up for clinical, laboratory, and radiology findings for a period of three months to one year after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most frequent complaints in both groups were abdominal pain, and the most common physical examination finding was epigastric tenderness. In the performed examination, an eosinophil elevation in whole blood count was detected in 19 patients (100%) in the hepatic phase, and in 2 patients (66.6%) in the biliary phase. The results of the Fasciola hepatica indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) test ordered in the diagnosis were positive in all patients. Treatment with 10 mg/kg/day triclabendazole for two consecutive days was effective. Live parasites were extracted from patients in the biliary phase with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. In the follow-ups, remission in IHA titer and clinical and radiological improvement was achieved in all patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If hypereosinophilia is detected by peripheral smear in patients who are admitted with complaints such as abdominal pain, weakness, nausea, myalgia, and weight loss, radiological evaluation and serological tests should be performed and fascioliasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Gaziantep University, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep, Turkey. vbosnak@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Vuslat Keçik
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Boşnak
authors.forename: İlkay
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Karaoğlan
authors.forename: Handan Haydaroğlu
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Namiduru
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pehlivan
authors.forename: Vahap
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Okan
authors.forename: Ayşe Özlem
authors.initials: AÖ
authors.lastname: Mete
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005210:Fasciola hepatica / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005211:Fascioliasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000077682:Triclabendazole; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D000077682:Triclabendazole