Diagnosis and treatment of toxocariasis in children in modern conditions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15574/SP.2024.137.124Keywords:
children, toxocariasis, visceral toxocarosis, eye toxocarosis, immunoenzymatic analysisAbstract
Toxocariasis is a parasitic disease that is most often caused by roundworms in cats and dogs. Helminthiasis is endemic throughout Ukraine and causes significant morbidity in children, including damage to the lungs, liver, central nervous system, and eyes.
Purpose - to take into account the large number of displaced persons from the south and east of Ukraine, the growth of the population of homeless animals, the lack of deworming of them and pets, to analyze the data of the clinical examination of children who were treated in the departments of the “DCL No. 4 Kyiv” diagnosis and treatment of toxocariasis in children.
Three clinical cases of toxocariasis in children are presented. 1. A 3-year-old boy was admitted to the clinic with a diagnosis of acute bronchitis. An increase in the titer of toxocarosis antibodies (Ig G 1: 200) was detected, which indicated an invasion that had once occurred, and not an acute disease. The child was subject to dispensary observation by an infectious disease specialist and a general practitioner with an examination every 2 months. When clinical signs of toxocarosis appear, specific therapy is recommended. 2. Boy, 3.5 years old. was in the neurological department due to a neurosis-like condition in the form of sleep disturbance (restless sleep), febrile convulsions in the anamnesis. This case demonstrates the propensity of visceral toxocarosis to a long-term relapsing course, which was confirmed by the detection of IgG - toxocar avid antibodies with an avidity index of 60, which indicates a chronic invasion and requires specific treatment. 3. A 10-year-old girl was being treated in the eye department. The child was diagnosed with ocular form of toxocariasis, treated: anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, surgical.
Conclusions. Toxocariasis in children is an urgent problem in pediatrics, and the solution of its aspects depends on the introduction of the latest methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention into the clinical practice of health care, as well as on the coordinated cooperation of pediatric and veterinary services.
The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.
Informed consent of the child’s parents was obtained for the research.
No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.
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