The effect of praziquantel treatment on liver and spleen size of children with schistosomiasis in Napu Valley, central Sulawesi

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 1990 Mar;21(1):91-4.

Abstract

Forty-six school children with japonicum schistosomiasis living in a village at Napu Valley, Indonesia were treated with praziquantel at a dosage of 70 mg/kg in two divided doses in a day. The number of children with palpable liver dropped significantly from 95.6% before treatment to 58.7% after treatment. The size of the liver was reduced in the majority of cases with a virtual disappearance of cases with very large liver (10 cm). Post-treatment increase of the liver size was observed in all 8 cases with small pre-treatment livers (0.5-1 cm). In contrast to the changes of the size of the liver after treatment, the number of children with palpable spleens before and after treatment was not significantly altered.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Hepatomegaly / complications
  • Hepatomegaly / drug therapy*
  • Humans
  • Indonesia
  • Male
  • Praziquantel / therapeutic use*
  • Schistosomiasis japonica / complications
  • Schistosomiasis japonica / drug therapy*
  • Schistosomiasis japonica / pathology
  • Splenomegaly / complications
  • Splenomegaly / drug therapy*

Substances

  • Praziquantel