UTILITY OF SEROLOGY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF AMOEBIC HEPATITIS AND HYDATID DISEASE AMONG PATIENTS WITH BENIGN HEPATIC CYSTS.

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 suspicious 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