Pattern Of Intestinal Parasites Among Cirrhotic Patients In Sohag University Hospitals

Background: Cirrhosis-associated immune dysfunction syndrome (CAIDS) is the final stage of chronic hepatic disease in which patients become more liable to various infections. Aim: We aimed to determine the prevalence and pattern of intestinal parasitic infections in cirrhotic patients and to identify the risk factors associated with these infections.Patients and methods: A case-control study was conducted among 100 patients who attended our Tropical Medicine and Gastroenterology outpatient clinic at Sohag University Hospital, classified into 50 patients with liver cirrhosis and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) complaints (case group) and 50 patients non-cirrhotic (control group). Participants were subjected to history taking, clinical examination, and investigations. Results: 50% of cirrhotic cases had parasitic infection in comparison to 42 % of controls. Infection with Entamoeba histolytica / Entamoeba dispar, Cryptosporidium, Isospora, Hymenolepis nana, and Blastocystis hominis was more common in cirrhotic cases (12%, 10%, 10%, 8%, 6%), respectively, than in controls (6%, 4%, 6%, 2%, 2%), but this was statistically insignificant. The age, gender, diabetes, and hypertension were statistically significant in cirrhotic patients than in controls. Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis was more in cirrhotic parasitically infected cases than in cirrhotic non-infected cases, P < 0.04.Conclusions: Entero-parasitic infection was more common among cirrhotic patients. Old age, male sex, diabetes mellitus (DM), and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) increase the risk of parasitic infection in cirrhotic patients. Entamoeba histolytica / Entamoeba dispar, Cryptosporidium, Isospora, Hymenolepis nana, and Blastocystis hominis were more prevalent in cirrhotic parasitically infected cases than in controls.