Anal pruritus in Cuban children with dipylidiasis

Abstract

Introduction: Dipylidiasis is a parasitic zoonosis produced by Dipylidium caninum. The infection is more frequent in children than in adults due to the close contact of children with pets (dogs and cats). Dipylidiasis is a benign and self-limiting disease, usually occurs asymptomatically, although sometimes some symptoms may appear.

Objective: Present the case of Cuban children with anal pruritus, a rare clinical form of presentation for dipylidiasis.

Presentation of cases: Four children from Havana, Cuba, treated in primary and secondary health care services after presenting anal pruritus, accompanied by the withdraw of mobile whitish elements in the stools. Stool studies and Graham's technique were performed, with negative results. The lack of etiological diagnosis of a possible parasitosis, led to the referral of the cases to the National Reference Laboratory of Parasitology of "Pedro Kouri" Institute of Tropical Medicine where the mothers were questioned and stool tests were indicated, which identified D. caninum.

Conclusion: In children with anal pruritus, a rare clinical form of presentation of dipylidiasis, it is necessary to make the differential diagnosis of this zoonotic taeniosis and request the parasitological diagnosis to confirm this parasitosis. The negative results obtained in primary and secondary health care services make suspect the ignorance of the diagnosis of this zoonotic taeniosis in the national health network, which, in addition, produced delay in the diagnosis and its confirmation at the tertiary level of health.

 Dipylidiasis; Dipylidium caninum.