Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of albendazole in pediatric toxocariasis. Methods: This interventional study was conducted over a 6-month period, enrolling 117 children aged 3-15 years between 2023 and 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. All patients received oral albendazole at a dosage of 15 mg/kg/day, divided into two daily doses, for five consecutive days. Treatment efficacy was assessed at 6 months based on the following criteria: (1) resolution or marked improvement of clinical symptoms; (2) negative ELISA serology; (3) normalization or significant reduction of eosinophil (EOS) counts to within the normal range; and (4) normalization or significant reduction of total IgE levels. Results: After six months, significant reductions were observed in white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil (NEU) count, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), platelet (PLT) count, EOS count, ELISA optical density (OD), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and creatinine levels (all P <0.05). Age-stratified analysis revealed that children aged 3-11 years showed statistically significant improvements in OD levels and EOS counts compared to baseline ( P <0.05). The overall treatment recovery rate was 28%. Conclusions: The cure rate for pediatric toxocariasis following a five-day albendazole regimen remains modest. Further research is required to optimize treatment durations and regimens to improve clinical outcomes in children.
Thieu et al. (Fri,) studied this question.