Intestinal and urinary parasitosis in children with acute leukemia and lymphoma

ABSTRACT

The present study was conducted on 50 patients [37 with acute leukemia, 13 with lymphomas] attending the Hematology/Oncology Clinic, Children's Hospital, Ain Shams University. Fifty normal children were studied as controls. Patients and controls were subjected to laboratory investigations including a complete hemogram, red cell indices, urine and stool analysis for parasites. The results of this study revealed that, 13 out of 50 [26%] patients with acute leukemia and lymphoma were positive for parasitic infection, while 15 out of 50 [30%] of the control subjects were positive. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. Giardiasis was the commonest infection. It has been found in 16% of patients' group and 20% of controls. Among the patients' group, there was no correlation between the prevalence of parasitosis and the duration of therapy. As regards the hematological data, it has been found that, there was a statistically significant increase in RBCs count, Hb and Hct values in patients with acute leukemia and positive parasitosis than in those with negative parasitosis. Although there was a statistically significant increase in the absolute eosinophil count in controls with positive parasitosis than those with negative results, this finding was not observed in the patients group