[Cryptosporidiosis in childhood]

Recent application of resisting acid-fast staining techniques for parasitologic investigation has allowed cryptosporidiosis to acquire an apparent interest, mainly caused by its apparition in immunosuppressed patients, specially when they have AIDS. More recently cryptosporidiosis has been reported in immunocompetent persons whose illness, stated as acute diarrhea, is mild and self-limited. In this article we report a prospective study of a series of 36 children with cryptosporidiosis. Most of them had acute diarrhea and six were asymptomatic. Other microorganisms were found associated with Cryptosporidium in 9 cases (6 had Giardia lamblia). Period of elimination of parasite was greatly uncertain. Symptomatic treatment was performed in patients with pure cryptosporidiosis. Favourable evolution was assessed in all cases.