Clinical aspects, electromyographic and evolution of neuroschistosomiasis patients

Abstract

Mansoni schistosomiasis is a parasitIc disease that assault nearly 10% of total Brazilian population, mainly from northwest, and it constitutes an important public health problem. The neurological presentation is especially severe because of motor, sensitive, sphincterian and erectile disturbances associated with neuroschistosomiasis, that are difficult to recuperate. Objectifying to describe clinical and electromyography aspects of neuroschistosomotic patients, analyzing clinical evolution, the author studied 47 patients, aging from 14 to 65 years old, 11 (23.4%) females, who attempted emergency or ambulatory consultation at neurological service of Hospital da Restauração, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, from 2000 June to 2003 June. One has evaluated clinical manifestations, magnetic resonance image alterations, cellular and biochemical characteristics of cerebrospinal fluid, ultrasound hepatosplenic findings, motor, sensitive and sphincter evolution and electromyography patterns, besides the relation of these findings and the motor clinical evolution after a median period of three months after hospital discharge. Main clinical manifestations included isolated