Schistosomiasis: a fourteen year survey of cases admitted to the U.S.T. Charity Hospital

ABSTRACT

In the U.S.T. Charity Hospital for the past 14 years, 1946-1959, a total of 127 cases of schistosomiasis were admitted. The majority 150 in number, came after 1950Majority of these patients came either from Leyte or Samar, 48 from the former and 34 from the later with a slight female predominance of 56.7% and a major age distribution between 10-30 years or 68.52%Diagnosis was confirmed in 49 instances by at least one diagnostic aid, Group I, and in others without objective proof but by clinical and epidemiological evidence, Group II. The remainder of the cases, though not showing schistosomiasis in the usual form, disclosed the disease at autopsy, and/or biopsyOn the basis of Pesigans grading, our cases chiefly belong to Grades C and D with a few in Grade E. Lack of cases in Grade A and B was probably due to the distant location of our hospital from endemic areas, and therefore the unlikelihood of getting early casesClinically abdominal complaints were the predominant feature, in the form of diarrhea or dysentery, abdominal pain, liver involvement including portal hypertension, jaundice and splenomegaly. Hematemesis and melena featured in 14% of the casesStools examination with acid-ether concentration technique proved the more reliable objective diagnostic aid in our series, followed by skin test and of course histological studiesThe frequency of involvement of the appendix in our cases stresses this particular aspect of the disease. The liver, colon, lungs and spleen were also frequently affected. In most instances, co-existing parasitic disease is also found. Of special interest are 4 cases which showed co-existing malignancy of either liver or intestines, a finding deserving further study. Likewise, calcification in one of the abdominal viscera appears to be one important clue in this disease, especially in a patient coming from an endemic areaAs far as Fuadin therapy is concerned, as used in this series, results were variable. In some cases control of diarrhea, relief of abdominal pain, subsidence of fever were achieved. In the advanced cases with irreversible hepato-splenomegaly, no noticeable change was observed. (Summary)