Showing papers by "Calum N. L. Macpherson published in 1992"

Prevalence of human hydatid disease in northwestern Libya: a cross-sectional ultrasound study.

Abstract: A total of 4103 people were screened in an ultrasound survey of the prevalence of hydatid disease (Echinococcus granulosus) in five areas of northwestern Libya; hydatid cysts were seen in 57 (14%), an overall prevalence of approximately 20% when adjusted for the likelihood of the occurrence of cysts in other sites in the body All ultrasound-positive cases were confirmed by dot-blot ELISA The prevalence of hydatid cysts increased with age, and differed between the sexes except in the five to 14 age group All diagnosed cases, even those with large cysts, were asymptomatic This study demonstrates the value of ultrasonography for screening field populations for hydatid disease The technique was well received locally, facilitating the rapid collection of prevalence data from all ages and both sexes Libyan people keep guard dogs, but there is little direct human:dog contact Many people own a single dog, invariably kept outside and often chained up Stray dogs are common, roaming the countryside to scavenge sheep carcases etc, and such dogs could be the main reservoir of E granulosus in Libya Because of the minimal direct human:dog contact, transmission of hydatid disease in Libya is probably indirect by ingestion of eggs from contaminated vegetables or drinking water

Ultrasound in the diagnosis of parasitic disease.

Abstract: INTRODUCTION During the last 20 years the application of ultrasonography (US) to clinical medicine has greatly expanded. New and improved (real-time) scanners provide remarkable image resolution and convenient methods of documenting results (video/polaroid/ photographic plate and transparency/thermal printers), There have been no reported side effects with US. The technique is very popular with operators, patients and communities because it is non-invasive and painless. A large number of people can be screened in a short period of time and an instant result is provided. After the initial purchase of the apparatus, which costs from UK £3500 to over£20000, the subsequent running costs are low. What limits the availability of US is the initial nigh capital cost and the need for trained personnel to operate it. These problems can be minimized if a single instrument is shared between departments ar projects. The development of portable scanners over the past decade has facilitated this, and also made it possible to apply US at the community level. Today, US is used in the departments of cardiology, gynaecology, obstetrics, paediatrics, neurology, urology and internal medicine and the technique is being increasingly applied to investigate pathology due to a wide variety of parasitic infections. US is now recognized as a valuable tool for the assessment of morbidity due to parasitic infections at the community level. As the technique is used more frequently for this purpose in different parts of the world, examination methods must be standardized, so that results from different studies can be compared. The aim of this review is to examine the current application of US to parasitic infections.