The pathology of schistosomiasis in Sudan

Abstract

The pathology of schistosomiasis in an autopsy material consisting of medico-legal cases and unclaimed bodies in the Sudan is described. The limitations of this type of study are pointed out. S. mansoni-infection and S. haematobium-infection occurred with a frequency of 14.3 per cent and 4.5 per cent of autopsies respectively. There was a geographical difference in the severity of S. mansoni-infection in two endemic areas in the country; it was particularly severe in patients coming from Bor area in the Southern Sudan. In autopsies with S. mansomi-infection intestinal polyposis and cor pulmonale were rarely encountered. The distribution of eggs in the tissues, using digestion studies, and the relationship of tissue egg load to pathology are reported and discussed.