The post-treatment effects of enterobiasis on the occurrence of enuresis among children in Calabar, Nigeria

摘要

Objective:To investigate the relationship between enterobiasis and enuresis before and after albendazole therapy among632 children, aged,5-14 years, in Calabar, Nigeria.Methods: The scotch tape (cellotape) technique was used for the detection of eggs ofEnterobius vermicularis (E. vermicularis)while questionnaire-based interviews were used for screening for anal itching and/or enuresis among study participants. All subjects found positive forEnterobius infection as confirmed by the presence of eggs and those with persistent anal itching (both enuretic and non-enuretic) were treated with400 mg of albendazole given as a single dose. The treated subjects were re-assessed post-treatment to ascertain whether they were cured and also to determine their enuretic status (for the enuretics).Results: The overall prevalences ofEnterobius infection, anal itching, and enuresis prior to albendazole therapy were6.8%, 42.9%, and35.6% respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of these parameters by the socio-economic class of subjects (P= 0.462,P =0.647, andP= 0.610, respectively). The pre-treatment prevalences of enuresis among Enterobius and anal itching-positive subjects were 53.5% and49.8%, respectively versus34.3% and24.9%, respectively among their negative counterpart (P =0.012andP < 0.001, respectively). Four(20%) out of the20 enuretic children foundEnterobius egg-negative after albendazole therapy were equally cured while8(40%) had reduction of their enuresis, thus giving a total resolution rate of 60%. Similarly,64.2% resolution (25% cure and 32.8% reduction) of enuresis was observed amongst120 anal itching-cured/enuretic children. Enuretic status of theEnterobius-/anal itching-uncured subjects, on the other hand, remained unchanged post-treatment.Conclusions:This study is suggestive of the involvement ofE. vermicularis in the aetiology of enuresis in Calabar. Children presenting with, especially, uncomplicated enuresis should be screened for enterobiasis.