Spinal cord schistosomiasis: Case report

Abstract

The authors present a case of spinal cord schistosomiasis which simulated a tumoral lesion determining spastic paraparesis with a sensitive-motor level at T1. The patient was treated with surgery, praziquantel and dexamethasone, with “restitutio ad integrum”. Seven years later the patient presented recrudescence of the symptoms, without a good response to the medication and without a plausible explanation.The authors wonder about the reasons of the low incidence of central nervous system schistosomosis in an endemic area such as the Northeast of Brazil. A brief review of the literature is done.