Jacinta Figueiredo, Joachim Richter, Silvana Belo and Maria Amelia Gracio
Urogenital Schistosomiasis Presenting Genital and Urinary Tract Lesions and Abdominal Discomfort in a Sterile Angolan Woman
Background: Schistosomiasis or bilharziasis is a parasitic disease caused by blood fluks of the genus Schistosoma. Schistosoma haematobium has been found in the Middle East, India, Portugal and Africa and it is responsible by urogenital schistosomiasis, pathology with strong economic and health repercussions in the endemic countries. The repercussions of schistosome infection in the health of an Angolan woman are presented and the effects of urogenital schistosomiasis in the human fertility are discussed.
Methods: A woman who came to the hospital for gynaecologic consultation because of primary sterility. She presented micturition problems, abdominal discomfort and back pain. Biopsies of the bladder and uterus epithelium showed Schistosoma haematobium ova. The patient was subdued to parasitological, ultrasonographical and cystoscopical examinations and treatment of the schistosomiasis associated to drug to prevent bacterial super-infection.
Results: Ultrasonography showed hypertrophy and irregularity of the bladder wall. Hystologic analysis showed S. haematobium eggs in the uterus epithelium and bladder. Cystocopy revealed sandy patches and ulceration at the ureteric meatus.
Conclusions: This was the first documented description of female genital schistosomiasis in Angola. Considering that S. haematobium is endemic in Angola, it is expected that a lot of similar cases of urogenital schistosomiasis are occurring in Angola. Then, preventive actions and early treatment of schistosomiasis should be implemented in endemic areas.
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