Fibre-optic sigmoidoscopy compared with the Kato technique in diagnosis and evaluation of the intensity of Schistosoma mansoni infection.

450 patients in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, complaining of chronic abdominal pain and, coming from different countries endemic for schistosomiasis, were examined endoscopically using fibre-optic colono- or sigmoidoscopes, and rectal biopsies were examined for Schistosoma mansoni ova. After a preliminary study showed that more than 6 biopsies did not increase the positivity rate, 6 biopsies were taken from the rectum and examined by transparency technique. 280 were positive for S. mansoni, 9 of them having in addition S. haematobium. 4 patients had polyps in the sigmoid colon and rectum. When these positive cases were examined using duplicate 50 mg Kato smears, only 160 (57.1%) were positive. There was a highly positive correlation between the intensity of infection as graded by the 2 techniques. We recommend examination of 6 rectal biopsies using fibre-optic sigmoidoscopy when available in small communities with a patchy distribution of schistosomiasis like Saudi Arabia. The method could also be used to exclude schistosomiasis in persons who have moved from rural to urban or non-endemic areas and are unlikely to be re-exposed to infection.

Studies on cutaneous leishmaniasis in Al-Kharaj area, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

A total of 600 patients with lesions of cutaneous leishmaniasis were diagnosed clinically as suffering from the disease; 138 (23%) were confirmed parasitologically for amastigote forms of L. major; promastigotes grown in culture were confirmed in 180 (30%) cases. Lesions varying in number and sites and the disease showed a high prevalence among non-Saudis (88%) labourers compared to Saudis (12%). Cutaneous leishmaniasis was found to vary seasonally with most cases reported during December to February.

The intestinal parasitic infections among children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

A total of 5421 children, 2726 apparently healthy and 2695 with clinical manifestations suggestive parasitic infection were subjected to stool examinations. Giardia lamblia was found to be the most common intestinal parasitic infection among both groups. Enterobius vermicularis followed among the patient group. Abdominal pain and pruritus ani were the most common causes of referral in the patient group. Other causes of referral were mainly associated with G. lamblia infection.