Brief Reports
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World J Gastroenterol. Nov 14, 2005; 11(42): 6667-6670
Published online Nov 14, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i42.6667
Giardiasis in patients with dyspeptic symptoms
Javed Yakoob, Wasim Jafri, Shahab Abid, Nadim Jafri, Saeed Hamid, Hasnain Ali Shah, Lubna Rizvi, Muhammad Islam, Hizbullah Shaikh
Javed Yakoob, Wasim Jafri, Shahab Abid, Nadim Jafri, Saeed Hamid, Hasnain Ali Shah, Lubna Rizvi, Muhammad Islam, Section of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi 74800, Sindh, Pakistan
Hizbullah Shaikh, Department of Pathology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi 74800, Sindh, Pakistan
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. Javed Yakoob, MBBS, PhD, Section of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University Hospital, Stadium Road, Karachi 74800, Pakistan. yakoobjaved@hotmail.com
Telephone: +92-21-48594661 Fax: +92-21-4934294
Received: March 10, 2005
Revised: April 7, 2005
Accepted: April 9, 2005
Published online: November 14, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of giardiasis in patients with dyspeptic symptoms.

METHODS: Clinical records of consecutive patients who attended Gastroenterology Department at Aga Khan University Hospital from January 2000 to June 2003 and had esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with duodenal biopsies and international classification of diseases 9th revision with clinical modifications (ICD-9-CM) coded with giardiasis were studied.

RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty patients fulfilled the above criteria. There were 44% (96/220) patients who were giardiasis positive, 72% (69/96) of them were males and 28% (27/96) of them were females. There were 65% (81/124) males and 35% (43/124) females who were giardiasis negative. The mean age of patients with giardiasis was 28±17 years, while that of giardiasis negative patients was 40±18 years (P<0.001). In patients with giardiasis, abdominal pain was present in 71% (68/96) of patients (P = 0.02) and diarrhea in 29% (28/96) (P = 0.005); duodenitis in 25% (24/96) on EGD (P = 0.006) and in 68% (65/96) on histopathology (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSION: Giardiasis occurs significantly in young people with abdominal pain, while endoscopic duodenitis is seen in only 25% of giardiasis positive cases, which supports routine duodenal biopsy.

Keywords: Abdominal pain; Giardiasis; Stool exa-mination; EGD; Duodenal biopsy