Background: Parasites as hydatid
disease and amoebic liver abscess
can cause cystic lesions in the liver
and their diagnosis depends on detection
of IgG antibodies in the serum
in combination with imaging techniques.
Aim of the work: To evaluate both
sensitivity and specificity of ELISA
test as a serological method for detection
of IgG antibodies in patients
with
hydatid disease and amoebic
liver
abscess among patients with
cystic
lesions of the liver.
Methodology: A case-control
study was conducted on 48 patients
with cystic lesions in the liver suspi cious to be hydatid cyst or amoebic
liver abscess, during the period from
October 2012 to December 2013.
Patients involved in the study were
admitted to Mansoura University
Hospital at the Tropical Medicine Department
and were tested for antihydatid
and anti-amoebic IgG antibodies
using ELISA technique. Results: Thirty-one suspicious
cases of hydatid disease were examined
by histopathology, as a gold
standard
test, later; they were tested
for
IgG antibodies using ELISA. Histopathology
detected eleven cases
as
hydatid disease in the liver, however,
ELISA test recorded 10 positive
cases and one case gave a false
negative
reaction, with sensitivity and specificity 90.9% and 95% respectively.
Seventeen suspicious
cases
of hepatic abscess were tested
using IHA for anti-amoebic IgG
antibodies,
only 2 positive cases of
amoebic
liver abscess were confirmed,
the two cases were also positive
when using the ELISA test with
sensitivity
and specificity 100% and
93.3%
respectively.
Conclusion: ELISA is a highly
sensitive and specific serological
technique for diagnosis of hydatid
disease and amoebic liver abscess
among patients with cystic lesions of
the liver.