Sonographic studies of schoolchildren in a village endemic for Schistosoma mansoni.

Parasitological, clinical, and sonographic examinations were performed on 309 school children in a village endemic for schistosomiasis mansoni. Data from the 255 denying treatment within the previous 2 years were analysed separately. On a single Kato examination 42% were uninfected; the remainder had light (26%), moderate (21%), or heavy (11%) infections with Schistosoma mansoni. Hepatomegaly (53%) and palpable spleens (35%) were common but clinical and parasitological findings often were unrelated. Abdominal sonography also demonstrated a high frequency of hepatomegaly (82%) and splenomegaly (49%). Sonographically determined liver span and spleen size correlated with the egg count. Sonographic lesions of periportal fibrosis of schistosomiasis mansoni with thickening of portal tracts and portal vein walls were frequently present and more common in infected than in uninfected children, and were correlated with the number of S. mansoni ova in the stool. Ultrasonographically detected periportal fibrosis was a reliable measurement of the prevalence and morbidity of schistosomiasis mansoni in this population, and provided very useful information, even when the parasitological and clinical findings were equivocal.

Clinical characteristics and response to therapy in Egyptian children infected with Schistosoma haematobium.

Forty-one Egyptian students with infections due to Schistosoma haematobium, who were selected by results of a urine screening examination, were evaluated for morbidity and response to chemotherapy. Symptoms associated with infection were hematuria, dysuria, and swimmer's itch. A positive correlation existed between the intensity of infection and frequency of exposure to water. Laboratory abnormalities included eosinophilia (41), anemia (9), hematuria (38), pyuria (33), and proteinuria (8). Three of 26 subjects had abnormalities intravenous pyelograms: hydroureter, bladder polyp , and bladder calcification. The bladder polyp was noted also by sonography. Cure rates were 66.7% in 18 subjects treated with two 10-mg/kg doses of trichlorfon and were 89.5% in 19 subjects given three doses. Those not cured had an average reduction in ova excretion of 96%. Follow-up at 12 months of 33 subjects showed that nine had S. haematobium ova in urine, although 75% admitted to exposure to canal or irrigation water in the interim.