Giardiasis natural history, complications and prognosis
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Yazan Daaboul, M.D.; Serge Korjian M.D.
Overview
Following transmission of Giardia, patients may remain asymptomatic for 1-3 weeks. Early symptoms typically include acute, watery diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal cramping, which are usually self-limited. If left untreated, giardiasis may persist in a small proportion of patients and subsequently results in chronic giardiasis. Complications may be related to either severe dehydration (e.g. acute kidney injury), malabsorption (e.g. vitamin B12 deficiency), post-infectious diseases (e.g. reactive arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome), or spread of Giardia to extraluminal sites (e.g. involvement of the gallbladder, pancreas, or eyes). The prognosis is generally excellent. Recurrence of disease is common among children even with optimal treatment.
Natural History
- Following transmission of Giardia, patients may remain asymptomatic for 1-3 weeks.
- The development of clinical manifestations is dependent on the parasite load, presence of virulence factors, and the host immune response (immunocompetent vs. immunocompromised).
- Early symptoms typically include watery diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal cramping.
- The majority of patients with giardiasis experience a self-limited acute infection.
- If left untreated, giardiasis may persist in a small proportion of patients and subsequently results in chronic giardiasis.
- Patients with chronic giardiasis typically report chronic watery diarrhea, steatorrhea, malaise, anorexia, malabsorption, weight loss, and failure to thrive.
- Giardiasis is generally a luminal infection (i.e. does not usually spread outside the lumen of the intestine). However, extraluminal manifestations have been reported (see Complications).
Complications
Complications of giardiasis have mostly been described in case-series. Reported complications included the following:
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Severe dehydration
- Acute kidney injury
- Lactase deficiency
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Allergic reaction (urticaria, elevated IgE)[1]
- Erythema multiforme
- Reactive arthritis[2]
- Ocular disease (usually in children)[1]
- "Salt and pepper" retinal changes[3]
- Retinal hemorrhage
- Iridocyclitis
- Choroiditis
- Hypokalemic myopathy[4]
- Cognitive impairment
- Post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome[1]
- Malignancy (unconfirmed association)
Prognosis
- The majority of patients with giardiasis experience a self-limited acute infection.
- Development of chronic infection generally depends on viral infectivity and host factors.
- With adequate treatment, the prognosis of giardiasis is excellent.
- Recurrence of disease is common among children even with optimal treatment.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Halliez MC, Buret AG (2013). "Extra-intestinal and long term consequences of Giardia duodenalis infections". World J Gastroenterol. 19 (47): 8974–85. doi:10.3748/wjg.v19.i47.8974. PMC 3870550. PMID 24379622.
- ↑ Carlson DW, Finger DR (2004). "Beaver fever arthritis". J Clin Rheumatol. 10 (2): 86–8. doi:10.1097/01.rhu.0000120979.11380.16. PMID 17043473.
- ↑ Corsi A, Nucci C, Knafelz D, Bulgarini D, Di Iorio L, Polito A; et al. (1998). "Ocular changes associated with Giardia lamblia infection in children". Br J Ophthalmol. 82 (1): 59–62. PMC 1722351. PMID 9536883.
- ↑ Genovese A, Spadaro G, Santoro L, Gasparo Rippa P, Onorati AM, Marone G (1996). "Giardiasis as a cause of hypokalemic myopathy in congenital immunodeficiency". Int J Clin Lab Res. 26 (2): 132–5. PMID 8856367.
- ↑ Mitchell CM, Bradford CM, Kapur U (2011). "Giardia lamblia trophozoites in an ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of a pancreatic mucinous neoplasm". Diagn Cytopathol. 39 (5): 352–3. doi:10.1002/dc.21425. PMID 20730892.
- ↑ Nagasaki T, Komatsu H, Shibata Y, Yamaguchi H, Nakashima M (2011). "[A rare case of gallbladder cancer with giardiasis]". Nihon Shokakibyo Gakkai Zasshi. 108 (2): 275–9. PMID 21307633.