RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Approximately 100 cases of giardiasis incidence are reported each year in Japan. The actual infection rate, however, is suspected to be higher since giardiasis is often overlooked due to the mildness of its symptoms. We investigated the presence of trophozoites of Giardia lamblia microscopically in sediment of whole gut lavage fluid obtained from patients undergoing colonoscopy. METHODS: Whole gut lavage fluid was collected from all 3035 cases (2355 persons) undergoing colonoscopy at Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases from 1993 to 1997. After Papanicolaou staining, sediment specimens of the lavage fluid were microscopically observed. RESULTS: Giardia lamblia were identified in 15 cases (12 persons: 0.51%). Among them, four patients had diarrhea and/or abdominal pain. Subsequently, three of them were treated with metronidazole. CONCLUSION: Giardiasis is not a rare infectious disease among the Japanese; therefore it should be taken into consideration in evaluating enteritis.
