The Evaluation of the Relationship Between Clinical Findings and Stool Macroscopy and Microscopy

ABSTRACT Purpose: As the macroscopic and microscopic examination of stool is important for the the diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases and infections, investigating the relationship between the clinical signs and microscopic and macroscopic findings of feces was aimed. Materials and Methods: The stool examination reports were prepared for 500 people who applied to the parasitology laboratory with the parasite infection suspicion in our medical faculty. After complaints of these persons were assessed by talking in person and getting information from the automation system, they were noted as clinical signs in the stool examination report and stool specimen features of these persons were noted in the stool examination report as macroscopic findings. The microscopic findings of the feces from these individuals were also evaluated using the direct browning method (native-lugol) and sedimentation method and noted in the stool examination report. Finally, these data were statistically evaluated using x2 test (chi square) (p<0.05). Results: Of the 500 individuals who applied to the parasitology laboratory, 166 were younger than 15 years of age and 62% of these individuals had parasitic infections. The feces specimens of individuals who came with these complaints were examined macroscopically and microscopically and the obtained data was compared with clinical and other findings and was not included as it was not statistically significant. The remaining 334 individuals were over 15 years of age and only 26% of these individuals had parasitic infections. The macroscopic and microscopic results of the feces of the individuals who came with these complaints were as follows; 9,6% of the feces were found to be in soft consistency, 12,3% in watery consistency, 4,2% in solid consistency while microscopically they were mucus in 12,3% of the excreta. When examined as a total, the results of examining the feces of 500 individuals were as follows; macroscopically 48% of the feces were found to be in soft consistency, 30,2% in watery consistency, 21,8% in solid consistency, 36,2% in abnormal color and 5,8% in bad odor while microscopically mucus in 36.6% and leukocyte in 50.2% of the excreta. Conclusion: This study proved statistically that fecal macroscopy is as important as fecal microscopy in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases and infections and that the fecal should be examined macroscopically in routine laboratories and the findings should be sent to the clinician