Abdominal ultrasound in acute schistosomiasis mansoni.

Abstract

Reports on abdominal ultrasound studies in patients with acute schistosomiasis are still scarce and limited data are available on structural changes of the liver parenchyma in this stage of the disease. 26 patients with acute schistosomiasis mansoni were submitted to clinical and ultrasound examination. For ultrasound comparison, each acute patient was paired by age, gender, weight and height to a non-infected individual. Ultrasound showed a non-specific homogeneous size increase of the liver, and spleen in all acute patients, and easily identified intraabdominal lymph nodes in the periportal region in most cases. Three out of the five patients with periportal thickening underwent percutaneous liver biopsy. Periportal thickening disappeared 6 months after treatment for schistosomiasis. 24 months after successful treatment there was involution of the liver and spleen; lymph nodes, although reduced in size, were still easily recognized. Liver biopsy showed dense inflammatory infiltration of neutrophils, macrophages and eosinophils in the portal tracts associated with discrete fibrous tissue formation.

Acute schistosomiasis mansoni: revisited and reconsidered

“…9). Twenty-four months after successful treatment there was involution of the liver and spleen and lymph nodes, although reduced in size, were still easily recognised (Lambertucci et al 1994, Barata et al 1999). …”

Report of the Second Satellite Symposium on Ultrasound in Schistosomiasis

“…More recently, 26 patients with acute S. mansoni infection were submitted to clinical and ultrasonographic examination by Barata et al (1999). For comparison of ultrasound features, each patient was matched by age, gender, weight and height to a noninfected individual.…”

Detection of Early Liver Fibrosis in Patients with Intestinal Schistosomiasis: Sonographic and Histologic Findings in Schistosoma mansoni Infection

“…This statement is not surprising since periportal fibrosis is easily identified by US only at the advanced stage while variation increases particularly in the detection of ''borderline pathology'' characterized by mild fibrosis [5]. Unfortunately, we do not have many data about comparisons between ultrasound and liver biopsy in patients with chronic intestinal stage, mild liver pathology or ''border-line'' US detectable liver abnormalities [3,17,18]. As we know that schistosomiasis is a progressive disease and periportal fibrosis evolves progressively, the range of ''border-line pathology'' is probably so large that chronic intestinal schistosomiasis could be correctly classified as ''hepatointestinal'' schistosomiasis.…”