Imported skin parasitosis.

Larva migrans cutanea is a typical skin parasitosis of tropical and subtropical regions. In Central European countries, such as Slovakia and Czech Republic, larva migrans cutanea is just an imported disease. Its clinical symptoms are characterized by formation of erythematous focus with serpiginous morphology, which is caused by migration of helminth in epidermis. The disease does not threaten the patient's life, but causes significant discomfort, especially in form of pruritus in the affected area. Thanks to growing trend of today's tourism more tourists are exposed to the harmful effects of the environment in final destinations. This leads to an increase in frequency of imported diseases, with which physicians in our latitudes may not have enough experience.

Contribution to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Life-Threatening Parasitosis Caused by the Parasite Echinococcus multilocularis.

Echinococcosis is a serious parasitic disease that ends lethally in 95% of untreated infected patients. It was first diagnosed in Slovakia in the year 2000. It is caused by the larval stage of a tapeworm belonging to the genus Echinococcus, which was assigned to the group "A" of zoonoses in the year 2004. The number of new infections is rising because of increasing percentage of infected red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). Early and accurate diagnosis of infections with this parasite is essential for proper initiation of adequate therapy. Thanks to professional multidisciplinary efforts and new laboratory procedures, the number of correctly diagnosed cases has increased. Antimicrobial therapeutic approaches can lead to improved quality of life and better prognosis even if radical surgery is refused by the patient.

Lyme borreliosis--epidemiological analysis of incidence in the northern region of Slovakia.

Lyme borreliosis is a contemporary public health problem. That's why we devoted our prospective and retrospective epidemiological study to the incidence of anthropozoonosis in the regions of Liptovský Mikulás and Ruzomberok. We created a group of 476 patients from the medical documentation of infectious units. These patients were treated for Lyme borreliosis from 1989 to 2010, 280 patients in the county of Liptovský Mikulás, and 196 patients in the county of Ruzomberok. Morbidity in different years was compared to national data. The number of ill patients (n = 476) compared to data about reported cases from The Regional Public Health Office in Liptovský Mikulás (n = 221) confirmed the lack of a warning service. The actual incidence of Lyme disease in the Liptov region is twice higher. The average morbidity was 16.24 people per 100,000 of the population for the last 22 years. The highest morbidity from 476 treated patients (men 37.52%, women 62.48%) was in the group aged from 45 to 54 years with an average annual morbidity 21.18/100,000. The study also confirmed the higher incidence of Lyme disease in the female population.

Costs analysis of the treatment of imported malaria.

BACKGROUND: To document the status of imported malaria infections and estimate the costs of treating of patients hospitalized with the diagnosis of imported malaria in the Slovak Republic during 2003 to 2008. CASE STUDY: Calculating and comparing the direct and indirect costs of treatment of patients diagnosed with imported malaria (ICD-10: B50 - B54) who used and not used chemoprophylaxis. The target sample included 19 patients diagnosed with imported malaria from 2003 to 2008, with 11 whose treatment did not include chemoprophylaxis and eight whose treatment did. RESULTS: The mean direct cost of malaria treatment for patients without chemoprophylaxis was 1,776.0 EUR, and the mean indirect cost 524.2 EUR. In patients with chemoprophylaxis the mean direct cost was 405.6 EUR, and the mean indirect cost 257.4 EUR. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis confirmed statistically-significant differences between the direct and indirect costs of treatment with and without chemoprophylaxis for patients with imported malaria.

[Cyst of Echinococcus etiology localised in the spleen]. / Cysta echinokokovej etiológie lokalizovaná v slezine.

Cystic form in the spleen was diagnosed accidentally in a 44 years old patient during ultrasonography of the abdomen. It reached 6.0 cms in diameter. The mass was localised superficially, closely beneath the capsule of the spleen. The diagnose was confirmed serologically. Because of the localisation and the size of the cyst, the surgical approach - splenectomy - was indicated and performed.

Analysis of the direct and indirect costs of treatment of imported malaria in the Slovak Republic.

This study analyzed the approximate cost of treatment of patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of imported malaria in Slovakia. Between 2003 and 2007, 15 patients with imported malaria were hospitalized. The mean direct cost of the treatment was 970.75 euros and the mean indirect cost was 53.15 euros. For the patient with the highest cost of treatment, the use of mefloquine prophylaxis would have represented only 0.5% of the total direct cost of treating the disease. Despite the partial resistance of plasmodia, malaria chemoprophylaxis is unequivocally a cheaper choice than subsequent treatment of malaria.

Analysis of the direct and indirect costs of treatment of imported malaria in the Slovak Republic / Análise dos custos diretos e indiretos do tratamento da malária importada na República Eslovaca

This study analyzed the approximate cost of treatment of patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of imported malaria in Slovakia. Between 2003 and 2007, 15 patients with imported malaria were hospitalized. The mean direct cost of the treatment was 970.75 euros and the mean indirect cost was 53.15 euros. For the patient with the highest cost of treatment, the use of mefloquine prophylaxis would have represented only 0.5 percent of the total direct cost of treating the disease. Despite the partial resistance of plasmodia, malaria chemoprophylaxis is unequivocally a cheaper choice than subsequent treatment of malaria.

Análise do custo aproximado do tratamento dos doentes hospitalizados na Eslováquia com malária importada. Entre 2003 a 2007, foram internados 15 doentes com malária importada. Os custos médios diretos do tratamento foram avaliados em 920,75 euros e indireto em 53,15 euros. No doente com o custo mais elevado de tratamento, a utilização da profilaxia com mefloquina representaria somente 0,5 por cento do total dos custos diretos do tratamento da doença. Apesar da resistência parcial do plasmódio, a quimioprofilaxia da malária é inequivocamente uma opção mais econômica do que o tratamento posterior da malária.