Giardiasis in patients with dyspeptic symptoms

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Dyspeptic symptoms are common presenting complaints in gastroenterology.
• Giardiasis is a parasitic infection that can cause gastrointestinal distress.
• Accurate diagnosis of giardiasis is crucial for effective treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of giardiasis in patients experiencing dyspeptic symptoms.
• To identify clinical and endoscopic features associated with giardiasis in this population.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study of clinical records from patients undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with duodenal biopsies.
• Inclusion criteria involved ICD-9-CM coding for giardiasis.
• Data were collected from January 2000 to June 2003 at Aga Khan University Hospital.

Main Results:

• Out of 220 patients, 44% tested positive for giardiasis.
• Giardiasis-positive patients were significantly younger (mean age 28 years) than giardiasis-negative patients (mean age 40 years).
• Abdominal pain (71%) and diarrhea (29%) were common symptoms in giardiasis-positive patients, with duodenitis observed in 25% on EGD and 68% on histopathology.

Conclusions:

• Giardiasis is prevalent in younger individuals presenting with dyspeptic symptoms, especially abdominal pain.
• Endoscopic findings of duodenitis are not consistently present in giardiasis cases.
• The study supports the utility of routine duodenal biopsies for diagnosing giardiasis.