Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Gerspacher-Lara, Rogério
• Pinto-Silva, Rogério A
• Serufo, José Carlos
• Rayes, Abdunnabi AM
• Drummond, Sandra C
• Lambertucci, José Roberto

Titel

Splenic Palpation for the Evaluation of Morbidity due to Schistosomiasis Mansoni

Ist Teil von

• Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, 1998-01, Vol.93 (s1), p.245-248

Ort / Verlag

Brazil: Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz

Erscheinungsjahr

1998

Quelle

Free E-Journal (出版社公開部分のみ）

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• This study was undertaken to determine the accuracy of splenic palpation for the diagnosis of splenomegaly, and to determine whether the frequency of individuals with a palpable spleen in an endemic area can be considered as an index of morbidity of schistosomiasis. For the clinical diagnosis of splenomegaly, two criteria have been tested: (A) presence of a palpable spleen and (B) presence of a palpable spleen whose border could be felt more than 4 cm below the costal margin. In an area of high prevalence of the disease (66.3%) 285 individuals aged 18 years or more have been submitted to abdominal ultrasonography and physical examination. Splenomegaly was defined as a splenic length greater than 120 mm by ultrasound and the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of criterion A were 72.2%, 90.5%, 35.1% and 97.8%. The values for criterion B were 27.8%, 98%, 50% and 95%, respectively. In an non endemic area, 517 individuals were submitted to the same protocol and 22 individuals had a palpable spleen, but no patient fulfilled criterion B for splenomegaly, and only one met the ultrasonographic criterion for splenomegaly. The authors concluded that abdominal palpation is a poor method for the diagnosis of splenomegaly.