Intestinal parasites in children with neoplasms

Aksoy U., Erbay A., Akisu C., Apa H., Ozkoc S., Ozturk S.

TURKISH JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS, vol.45, no.2, pp.129-132, 2003 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 45 Issue: 2
  • Publication Date: 2003
  • Journal Name: TURKISH JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.129-132
  • Keywords: malignancy, children, intestinal parasites
  • Dokuz Eylül University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Stool specimens taken from 50 children with malignancy and from 92 healthy children were investigated for intestinal parasites, using the modified formol ethyl acetate concentration method, and native-lugol, trichrome and Kinyoun acid-fast stain methods. Thirty-eight (76.0%) of the 50 patients had lymphoma or leukemia and were considered immunosuppressed. Several different parasites were found in 21 (42.0%) of the 50 patients with malignancy and in 16 (47.3%) of the 38 patients with immune deficiency compared to in-only 16 (17.3%) of the 92 healthy children. The incidence of parasites in patients with malignancy or immunosuppression was significantly higher than in the healthy control, group (p<0.01, p<0.01).