Clinical evaluation of praziquantel(Embay 8440; Biltricide®) in the treatment of <i>Paragonimus westermani</i>

, Rim, Han Jong; , Chang, Yoo Shin; , Lee, Joon Sang; , Joo, Kyoung Hwan; , Suh, Won Hyuk; , Tsuji, Moriyasu

doi:1981.19.1.27

Korean J Parasito > Volume 19(1):1981 > Article

Original Article


Korean J Parasitol. 1981 Aug;19(1):27-37. English. Published online Mar 20, 1994. http://dx.doi.org/10.3347/kjp.1981.19.1.27
Copyright © 1981 by The Korean Society for Parasitology


Clinical evaluation of praziquantel(Embay 8440; Biltricide®) in the treatment of Paragonimus westermani
Han-Jong Rim,Yoo-Shin Chang,Joon-Sang Lee,Kyoung-Hwan Joo,Won-Hyuk Suh,^* and Moriyasu Tsuji
Department of Parasitology and Institute for Tropical Endemic Diseases, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
^*Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.


Abstract
A total of 52 paragonimiasis patients was treated with praziquantel at three dose levels: 21 patients received 3 × 25.0 mg/kg bwt on a single day, 21 patients were treated with 3 × 25.0 mg/kg for 2 consecutive days and 10 patients were treated with the same dose for 3 consecutive days. Follow-up examination were carried out at monthly up to 4 months (120 days) after treatment. Fifteen (71.4%) out of 21 patients who received the drug 3 × 25.0 mg/kg bwt on a single day were parasitologically cured. Eighteen (85.7%) out of 21 patients who received 3 × 25.0 mg/kg bwt for 2 consecutive days were also cured. Six and 3 of uncured cases in each above groups were treated again with doses of 3 × 25.0 mg/kg bwt for 2 or 3 consecutive days. Two (consisting each one in each group ) of nine retreated cases were failed in parasitological cure. Therefore the overall cure rates of 95.2 % (20 out of 21 cases) in each group were finally obtained. On the other hand, in 10 patients who received 3 × 25.0 mg/kg bwt for 3 consecutive days, complete cure was obtained at 4 months follow-up examinations. Praziquantel is well tolerated and side effects consist particularly of mild and transient headache and dizziness. There was no great difference between the three dosage groups. Extended hematological and biochemical tests, and urinalysis, revealed no abnormal findings which could be related to the compound after therapy. The disappearance of precipitating bands of immunoelectrophoresis together with the disappearance of abnormal shawdows in chest X-ray after treatment gave a potent proof on assuring the cure of paragonimiasis.

Tables


	Table 1 The use of praziquantel in human paragonimiasis. Characteristics of the study group in relation to the degree of infection and allocation to dosages


	Table 2 The use of praziquantel in human paragonimiasis. Ratio of patients cured in follow-up after 1st and 2nd treatment with three dosages


	Table 3 Therapeutic effects of praziquantel in the treatment of paragonimiasis by the degree of infection


	Table 4 Frequency of symptoms in paragonimiasis patients before and after treatment with praziquantel


	Table 5 The changes of the chest X-ray abnormalities before and after treatment with praziquantel in paragonimiasis


	Table 6 Results of therapeutic efficacy and immunoelectrophoresis in paragonimiasis patients treated with praziquantel

References


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