Treatment of angiostrongyliasis using a combination of albendazole and dexamethasone: the results of a retrospective and comparative study

As the information available on the treatment of angiostrongyliasis with a combination of albendazole and dexamethasone is limited, the efficacy of such therapy was assessed using data collected during the 2006 outbreak of angiostrongyliasis in Beijing. In a retrospective and controlled study, 35 patients treated with albendazole-dexamethasone (given 20 mg albendazole/kg and 3 mg dexamethasone daily for 7 days) were compared with 34 controls who were treated only symptomatically (with acetaminophen or other drugs). Compared with the controls, the patients given the combination were less likely to have headaches after 7 days (P=0.038), tended to have headaches that cleared quicker (P=0.010), and received fewer doses of acetaminophen (P=0.036). Since no serious adverse effects were observed, a 1-week treatment with a combination of albendazole and dexamethasone appears both safe and beneficial in the treatment of angiostrongyliasis.