An Evaluation of Diagnostic Tests for Hydatid Disease

Abstract

A comparative evaluation was made of three three tests for the diagnosis of hydatid disease, viz. enumeration of eosinophils, the indirect hemagglutination test, and the intradermal reaction. A critical appraisal of the three methods tested on 208 patients with hydatid disease showed that the hemagglutination test had both the highest sensitivity and specificity. The sensitivity of the intradermal test was comparable to that of the indirect hemagglutination reaction if the immediate and delayed responses were considered jointly.