Comparative study between the effect of nitazoxanide and paromomycine in treatment of cryptosporidiosis in hospitalized children.

Ninety children infected with cryptosporidium parvum attending al-azhar university teaching hospital (assuit) were chosen (60 males & 30 females) with age range from 6 months to ten years. the patients were divided into two groups of 45 patients for each (g1 & g2). all patients suffered from chronic diarrhea for more than fifteen days. cross-matched 45 children suffering from chronic diarrhea were used as a control group (g3). stool samples were collected and examined for detection of cryptosporidium oocysts using sheather's sugar and modified ziehl-nelseen stain techniques. the first group (g1) received nitazoxanide (100 mg and 200 mg every 12 hours for 3 days for children aged 6 months to 3 years and chil dren aged 4 to 10 years respectively),g2 received paromomycin (25 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks). third group received placebo. significant improvement and shortening of the duration of diarrhea occur in g1; of 45 patients received nitazoxanide 39 cases showed complete clinical and laboratory cure (86.6%),5 cases showed clinical improvement with reduction in the number of oocysts and 1 case showed no cure. in g2 of 45 cases received paromomycin 31 cases showed complete cure (68.8%),8 cases showed clinical improvement with reduction of oocysts number and 6 cases were not cured. nitazoxanide proved highly effective than paromomycin in cryptosporidiosis.