Dead schistosome eggs in urine: a valuable finding not to be overlooked

ABSTRACT

Many histopathological examinations of the vesical pathology, including tumours and chronic lesions, reported the presence of dead calcified schistosome eggs in the examined specimen. This point directed our attention to investigate patients with dead schistosome eggs in simple urine analysis, thoroughly. By using the sedimentation and centrifugation method of urine analysis, 126 patients with dead bilharzia eggs in their urine were subjected to physical and radiological examinations, cystoscopy and biopsy under anaesthesia. 78 patients [61.9%] proved to have bladder carcinoma, 42 patients [33.3%] had chronic bladder lesions and 6 patients [4.8%] revealed no abnormality. No correlation was found between the quantity of dead schistosome eggs in urine and the type of the lesion whether malignant or non malignant. Also, no correlation was found between the quantity of dead schistosome eggs in urine and the grade of the tumour