Toxocariasis con afectación hepática / Toxocariasis with liver involvement

RESUMO

We are reporting 16 cases of toxocariasis found in a two year period. Mean age was 2 years and 9 months. Sex distribution was 11. Thirteen (81 per cent) children presented pica, 8 (50 per cent) had pets at home, 10 (62.5 per cent presented anemia and long standing fever, and all eosinophilic leukocytosis. Fundoscopy was normal in all. Toxocara antibodies (Through ELISA) were increased in all of them. High resolution ultrasonography revealed hypoechoic areas in the liver in 50 per cent of the cases. Therapeutic response was good, the clinical signs and symptoms disappearing at the end of treatment. The eosinophilic leukocytosis, ELISA serum positivity for toxocara and ultrasound findings persisted approximately for a year. Toxocariasis is a common parasitosis in our setting. It must be regarded as the first diagnosis when confronted with eosinophilic leukocytosis and abnormal liver findings by ultrasound.