Absorption studies in patients with parasitic infestation of the small intestine, before and after treatment

Forty adult patients having intestinal infestation with giardia or with parasitic associations, such as giardia-strongiloides, giardia-taenia solium, were subjected to morphological explorations, iron and vitamin B12 absorption tests, steatorrhea assay and serological tests, before treatment as well as six months and one year after eradication of the infection. On admittance, jejunal morphological lesions were noted only in 15 cases especially in associated infestation, iron depletion in six patients, vitamin B12 malabsorption in five patients and steatorrhea only in two cases. After the lapse of six months and one year, respectively, all the tests ranged within normal values, and the jejunal morphological aspect improved significantly indicating the pathogenetic role of intestinal parasites in the development of selective malabsorption.