Two Atypical Cases of Giardia Infection

private practice. Case 1.?A Muslim male, aged about 30 years, complained of incessant and agonizing pain round the umbilicus for past several years. He was treated outside for gastric, duodenal, intestinal and biliary colic but to no effect. For the past three years he had had continuous pain in his belly round the umbilicus. On examination, I found his general health deteriorated to a great extent. Blood : Hb 8 gm. Leucopscnia, liver and spleen not enlarged. No malarial parasite in thin and thick film. Slight tenderness over the right iliac region. I thought the condition might be due to chronic amoebic infection. He could not be persuaded to produce his stool for examination. He was treated for chronic amoebic dysentery but to no effect. At length he brought his stool for examination. It was examined consecutively for three days with practically the same result. It was full of giardia cysts. No ova of helminth. No amoebic cyst. He was at once placed on mepacrine treatment and the effect was most promising. Three such courses at an interval of two weeks were prescribed. Since then he has made an uninterrupted improvement in his general health too.