The use of diethylcarbamazine cream in the diagnosis of onchocerciasis.

Topical application of diethylcarbamazine (DEC) cream was tested as a method of diagnosis in patients with onchocerciasis. Approximately 5 ml of DEC cream (10% w/v) was rubbed into an 8 cm area of skin over the buttocks and the patient reexamined one day later. Twenty-nine patients with varying levels of infection were tested, and the sensitivity of the test was found to be 30.1% compared to standard skin snip assessment. It was not possible to quantify the degree of infection with the DEC cream skin test. It is concluded that the topical application of DEC is not a useful method for diagnosis of onchocerciasis in the field.