Low diagnostic performance of thick blood smears of 50 µl in comparison with direct examination of 10 µl blood and the leukoconcentration technique of 5ml blood among loiasis-suspected patients with low microfilaremia in Gabon, Central Africa, using the STARD-BLCM guidelines

Table 3 Characteristics of the study population

	N	%
Gender	191
Male	52	27.2
Female	139	72.8
Age groups	191
15–64 years	157	82.2
Other age groups	34	17.8
Patients with symptoms	191
Yes	101	52.9
No	90	47.1
Calabar swelling	191
Yes	11	5.8
No	180	94.2
Eye worm	191
Yes	6	3.1
No	185	96.9
Sensation of crawling under the skin	191
Yes	14	7.3
No	177	92.7
Generalized pruritus	191
Yes	39	20.4
No	152	79.6
Other edema	191
Yes	27	14.1
No	164	85.9
Other symptoms	191
Yes	55	28.8
No	136	71.2
Hypereosinophilia	187^a
Yes	93	49.7
No	94	50.3

	Mean	Standard deviation
Age in years	46.7	16.6

	Median	First quartile–third quartile
Eosinophilia in %	6.0	2.5–17.5

ISSN: 1756-3305