| Popis: |
Giardia sp. is one of the most common intestinal parasites in humans and ranks as the main cause of intestinal parasitic infection in infants aged two years and younger. Besides enteric symptoms, this parasitic disease may trigger ophthalmic, dermatologic, urinary tract, and musculoskeletal symptoms. These may include arthritis, which, when occurring secondary to enteropathic arthritis or genitourinary conditions, may cause reactive arthritis. However, reports of associations with post-infectious arthritis are relatively scarce and cases of arthropathy secondary to giardiasis may be underdiagnosed. The aim of the present paper is to report a case of synovitis associated with Giardia sp. infection. An 18-month-old female infant with acute synovitis of the right hip was treated with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug for five days, with improvement of symptoms. However, 29 days later she presented similar symptoms in the contralateral joint and was prescribed a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. The patient had an ova and parasite test performed, which came back positive for Giardia lamblia. The patient became asymptomatic five days after the initiation of treatment. Giardiasis should be included in the roster of conditions that may cause reactive arthritis, especially in cases of recurrence, since the clinical presentation of this condition is nonspecific and prevalence is high among young children in developing countries. |
