Combined role of casoni test and indirect haemagglutination test in the diagnosis of hydatid disease.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To study the combined role of Casoni test and indirect haemagglutination (IHA) test in the diagnosis of hydatid disease. METHODS: Twenty eight suspected cases of hydatid disease were subjected to Casoni intradermal test using commercially available antigen (Span Diagnostics, India) after collecting pre-test serum samples. The serum samples were tested by IHA using an indigenously developed IHA test. RESULTS: Considering the clinical diagnosis of hydatid disease as the gold standard, the specificity of both Casoni test and IHA was 47%, however, the sensitivity of IHA was higher (81.8%) than Casoni test (63.8%). With the two tests considered together the sensitivity was 90.9%. CONCLUSIONS: Combined use of Casoni test and IHA test could establish presumptive and cost effective diagnosis in upto 90.9% of clinically suspected cases of hydatid disease.