[Pathology of urogenital schistosomiasis]

Abstract

The authors submit the case history of their patient presenting with chronic cystitis, consequence of an infestation with the fluke Schistosoma haematobium. They also present the most frequent morphological forms of urogenital schistosomiasis, its complications and the possibilities of pathological differential diagnosis, based on literary data (including information from electronic data bases) on the pathomorphology and, more particularly, the histopathology of urogenital schistosomiasis. Among the general histopathological changes we see lesions that correspond to an active chronic infection with a chiefly granulomatous reaction. Calcification, pseudotumorous polypoid formations, ulcerations, obliterating fibrous lesions, epithelial transformations such as hyperplasia, metaplasia and dysplasia follow later. These changes are followed at the various sites by diverse clinical and morphological complications-posthaemorrhagic anaemia, adhesions, serious obstructions of urogenital openings and its consequences and, finally, an increased risk of pavement-cell carcinoma of the bladder. For all the above-mentioned reasons we should include the possibility of urogenital schistosomiasis into the large group of clinical and pathological aspects of differential diagnosis, when considering the etiology and treatment of inflammatory and tumorous lesions of the urogenital tract.