PREVALENCE OF SMALL BOWEL PROTOZOAN AMONG DYSPEPTIC PATIENTS WHO UNDERWENT UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL ENDOSCOPY (TEHRAN 2004-2006)

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Due to the relationship between small bowel parasites and dyspepsia, investigation on the prevalence of such parasites among dyspeptic patients seems to be important. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of small bowel parasites within a group of dyspeptic patients who have been referred to endoscopy ward of selected hospitals in Tehran, Iran. METHODS: This analytical study was performed on 130 patients who had undergone upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in endoscopy ward of Baghiatollah, Valiasr and Imam Khomeini hospitals of Tehran during 2004-2006. Duodenal aspiration, duodenal biopsy, and stool exam (S/E) were hired to find any infection with such parasites. Moreover, rapid urease test was used in order to find infection with Helicobacter pylori. These patients had no history of malignancy, genetic and/or metabolic diseases, and any history of treatment with antibiotics at least for 3 consecutive days within past month. FINDINGS: Stool exam was obtained from 105 patients, however all 130 patients had undergone duodenal aspiration and duodenal biopsy giardia was isolated from 4 patients (3.9%). Duodenal aspiration and biopsy were positive for giardia among 2(1.5%) and 1(0.8%) patients respectively. No infection with cryptosporidium, isospora, and cyclospora was detected. According to rapid urease test 61 patients (46.9%) were infected with Helicobacter pylori. Those with giardiasis were simultaneously infected with helicobacter pylori. CONCLUSION: It seems that giardiasis and infection with other small bowel parasites are not so important among dyspeptic patients, while Helicobacter pylori play an important role among such patients. In addition, larger number of stool exam infected with giardia can be diagnosed with formalin ether concentration method.