| dc.description.abstract | Splenic sizes, parasitaemia, total white blood cell count (WBC-T), differential white
blood cell count (WBC-D), direct agglutination test (DAT), RK39 dip stick test and
enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to diagnose malaria, tropical
splenomegaly syndrome (T.S.S), kala-azar (KA) and other causes of splenomegaly
on 93 clinically confirmed splenomegaly patients. There were 42 malaria patients, 28
T.S.S patients, 18 kala-azar patients and 5 cases of other causes of splenomegaly.
Malaria patients recorded small spleens < 6cm) whereas kala-azar cases produced
large spleens (> 10cm). The study on splenic sizes showed that there was significant
differences between diseases (ANOYA, F3, 5(1) = 18.86, P < 0.01). Comparisons
involving WBC-T, revealed that there was no significant difference amongst diseases
(ANOVA, F3, 5(1) = 0.44, P > 0.726). The DAT had a sensitivity of 100% and
specificity of 94.67%. The RK39 had a sensitivity of 83.3% and specificity of
97.3%. ELISA for malaria had a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 69.56%, that of
kala-azar had a' sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 90.7%. The results obtained
from this study have shown that it is possible to diagnose malaria, T.S.S and kala-azar
as follows: small tender spleens < 6 cm) with WBC-T of > 4,000 cells / mm :
malaria, big tender spleens (> 10 em) with WBC-T pf > 4,000 cells / mrn-: T.s.s, big
tender spleens ( > 10 cm) . with WBC-T of > 4,000 cells / mm3: without
eosinophils will diagnose kala-azar. This is a. cheap user-friendly and rapid
method of differential diagnosis. | en |
