[Intestinal amebiasis in children II. Evaluation of various diagnostic technics and different therapeutic regimens]

The diagnostic usefulness of different laboratory tests was evaluated in 20 cases of invasive intestinal amebiasis: the direct coproparasitoscopic exam in mucus obtained by rectoscopy was positive in 90.0 per cent of cases; the same exam done in mucus obtained by the spoon technique was positive in 40.0 per cent. The serum antibodies investigated by the counterimmunoelectrophoresis technique were found in 40.0 per cent of the cases in the first blood sample obtained at the hospital admisssion, and 15 days later this percentage increased to 66.6 percent. The fecal antigen studied by the ELISA technique was positive in 70.0 per cent of the cases. Simultaneously, the therapeutic effectiveness of emetine and metronidazol was evaluated, and with both therapeutic programs total recovery was obtained in 100.0 per cent of the cases; there were no significative differences in the symptoms duration after the start of therapy, and side effects were not observed. The results must be considered preliminary, because the calculated full sample has not been concluded.