PARASITIC INFESTATIONS

Parasitic infections lead to burden of morbidity and mortality in developingcountries. Surgeons practicing in the tropics are familiar with the parasitic disorders. Objectives:To determine the role of surgery in parasitic infestations of Echinococcus granulosus and Ascarislumbricoides. Design: Cross sectional case series study. Period: Two years. Setting: LiaquatUniversity Hospital Hyderabad. Patients and methods: All the patients with Echinococcusgranulosus and Ascaris lumbricoides were admitted in the ward and were observed for differentmanifestations and surgical procedures aimed to cure the echinococcosis and ascariasisinfestation. The data was analyzed in SPSS 16 and the frequency and percentage wascalculated. Results: During two years study period, total sixty cases of parasitic infestations(50 cases of Echinococcus granulosis and 10 cases of Ascaris Lumbricoides) were detectedat Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad / Jamshoro. The hydatid cysts was more common inthe age group of 30-39 years while the mean age ± SD in overall patients with Echinococcusgranulosis infestation was 38.74±7.84 whereas it was 35.87±8.64 and 40.43±6.73 in male andfemale population respectively. The Ascaris Lumbricoides was more common in the age groupof 15-20 years while the mean age ± SD in overall patients with Ascaris lumbricoides infestationwas 16.62±5.21 whereas it was 15.42±7.31 and 16.43±5.41 in male and female populationrespectively. Among 47 surgically treated cases of echinococcus, the approach used werecyst evacuation and tube drainage in 40 patients, total cystopericystectomy in 04 patients andlaparoscopically in 03 subjects accordingly. Seven (70%) cases of intestinal obstruction dueto ascariasis underwent surgical intervention like external milking of the obstructing bolus ofworms from the ileum into colon in 03 patients, intestinal resection and end to end anastomosisin 01 case and enterotomy and manual extraction of worms in 03 subjects accordingly.Conclusions: Hydatid disease and Ascaris lumbricoides may cause fatal complications andsurgical intervention has been the valuable option.