https://doi.org/10.4081/pmc.2024.331
Case report of rare presentation of schistosomiasis: delayed diagnosis of genitourinary schistosomiasis in an adolescent
Submitted: 17 November 2023
Accepted: 21 November 2024
Published: 3 January 2025
Accepted: 21 November 2024
Abstract Views: 65
PDF: 19
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Authors
Schistosomiasis is a tropical infection endemic to developing nations that can result in chronic liver damage, renal failure, infertility, and bladder cancer. Genitourinary localization is marked by dysuria, visible hematuria, and urinary obstruction. We present the case of a 17-year-old male adolescent from a rural area of Central Africa, who arrived in Italy two years prior, exhibiting hematuria and urinary symptoms. He came to our attention with a history of terminal hematuria, dysuria, and intermittent abdominal pain since the age of ten. We conducted initial blood tests, urine analyses, and ultrasonography, all yielding negative results. Cystoscopy was conducted with biopsy of an atypical bladder lesion due to the persistence of hematuria. Histopathology revealed morphological findings indicative of Schistosoma haematobium. The patient received praziquantel treatment and was monitored through parasitological urine analyses. Bladder schistosomiasis should be considered in children exhibiting terminal hematuria from endemic regions. Diagnosis can be established through a urinary microbiological examination. An endoscopic evaluation may assist in the diagnosis if the results are negative.
1. Fabiano M, Califano A, Chiancone F, et al. Bladder schistosomiasis in Italy: A case report. Urologia 2020;87:191-3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0391560320910647
2. Ishida K, Hsieh MH. Understanding urogenital schistosomiasis-related bladder cancer: an update. Front Med (Lausanne) 2018;5:223.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2018.00223
3. Bamgbola OF. Urinary schistosomiasis. Pediatr Nephrol 2014;29:2113-20.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-013-2723-1
4. Tetteh-Quarcoo PB, Akuetteh BK, Owusu IA, et al. Cytological and wet mount microscopic observations made in urine of Schistosoma haematobium-infected children: hint of the implication in bladder cancer. Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol 2019;2019:7912186.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/7912186
5. Ferrara D, Esposito F, Di Serafino M, et al. Sonographic early findings in a case of bladder schistosomiasis. J Ultrasound 2018;21:259-63.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-018-0307-4
6. World Health Organization. Schistosomiasis. 2023. Available from: https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/schistosomiasis
7. Alvarez Maestro M, Rios Gonzalez E, Dominguez Garcia P, et al. Bladder schistosomiasis: case report and bibliographic review. Arch Esp Urol 2010;63:554-8.
8. Darraj M. Urinary bladder Schistosomiasis mimicking neoplasm: a case report. Medicina (Kaunas) 2022;58:1001.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina58081001
9. Barsoum RS. Urinary schistosomiasis: review. J Adv Res 2013;4:453-9.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jare.2012.08.004
10. Bichler KH, Savatovsky I; Members of the Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Working Group of the Guidelines Office of the European Association of Urology (EAU), et al. EAU guidelines for the management of urogenital schistosomiasis. Eur Urol 2006;49:998-1003.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2006.02.022
11. Lackey EK, Horrall S. Schistosomiasis. 2023 Aug 7. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan–. PMID: 32119321.
12. Kavoussi L, MCDougal W, Partin A, et al. (eds.). Campbell-Walsh urology eleventh edition review. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier, 2016.
13. Smith-Togobo C, Mprah R, Yeboah EA, et al. Detection of cytological abnormalities in urothelial cells from individuals previously exposed or currently infected with Schistosoma haematobium. PLoS One 2023;18:e0278202.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278202
14. Osakunor DNM, Woolhouse MEJ, Mutapi F. Paediatric schistosomiasis: What we know and what we need to know. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018;12:e0006144.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0006144
15. Leblanc C, Pham LL, Mariani P, et al. Imported schistosomiasis in children: clinical, diagnostic aspects and outcome in 5 tertiary hospitals in France. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2017;36:e349-51.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/INF.0000000000001679
16. Herbinger KH, Drerup L, Alberer M, et al. Spectrum of imported infectious diseases among children and adolescents returning from the tropics and subtropics. J Travel Med 2012;19:150-7.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1708-8305.2011.00589.x
17. Remppis J, Verheyden A, Bustinduy AL, et al. Focused Assessment with Sonography for Urinary Schistosomiasis (FASUS)-pilot evaluation of a simple point-of-care ultrasound protocol and short training program for detecting urinary tract morbidity in highly endemic settings. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2020;114:38-48.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/trz101
18. Tublin M, Thurston W, Wilson S. The kidney and urinary tract: parasitic infections. In Rumack C, et al. Diagnostic ultrasound, 4nd. 2011. Elsevier Volume one Part II Chapter.
19. Abdou A, Tligui M, Le Loup G, Raynal G. Bilharziose urinaire : une série française [A western cohort of urinary schistosomiasis]. Prog Urol 2012;22:598-601.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.purol.2012.03.004
20. Hodel NC, Hamad A, Praehauser C, et al. The epidemiology of chronic kidney disease and the association with non-communicable and communicable disorders in a population of sub-Saharan Africa. PLoS One 2018;13:e0205326.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0205326
21. Roure S, Valerio L, Pérez-Quílez O, et al. Epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic and economic features of an immigrant population of chronic schistosomiasis sufferers with long-term residence in a non-endemic country (North Metropolitan area of Barcelona, 2002-2016). PLoS One 2017;12:e0185245.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185245
22. Percheron L, Leblanc C, Ulinski T, et al. Pediatric urogenital schistosomiasis diagnosed in France. Pediatr Nephrol 2024;39:1893-900.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-023-06260-x
23. Belhassen-García M, Pardo-Lledias J, Pérez Del Villar L, et al. Should parasitic disease be investigated in immigrant children with relative eosinophilia from tropical and sub-tropical regions? Paediatr Int Child Health 2017;37:42-45.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/20469047.2015.1109802
24. Webbe G. Infection with S. haematobium. In: Jordan P, Webbe G (eds) Schistosomiasis: epidemiology, treatment and control, 1st edn. 1982. Pitman Press, London.
How to Cite
Caputo, V., Bleve, C., Brooks, G., Zolpi, E., & Chiarenza, S. F. (2025). Case report of rare presentation of schistosomiasis: delayed diagnosis of genitourinary schistosomiasis in an adolescent. La Pediatria Medica E Chirurgica, 46(2). https://doi.org/10.4081/pmc.2024.331
Copyright (c) 2025 the Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.
Similar Articles
- Chiara Arrigoni, Nunzio Catena, Chronic Monteggia in pediatric population: A narrative literature review , La Pediatria Medica e Chirurgica: Vol. 44 No. s1 (2022)
- Francesco Marras, Chiara Asti, Corrado Ciatti, Stefano Pescia, Cristian Locci, Francesco Pisanu, Carlo Doria, Gianfilippo Caggiari, Congenital hip dysplasia: The importance of early screening and treatment , La Pediatria Medica e Chirurgica: Vol. 44 No. s1 (2022)
- Salvatore Fabio Chiarenza, Cosimo Bleve, Maria Escolino, Ciro Esposito, Fabio Beretta, Maurizio Cheli, Maria Grazia Scuderi, Vincenzo Di Benedetto, Giovanni Casadio, Maurizio Marzaro, Marco Gambino, Andrea Conforti, Alessio Pini Prato, Francesco Molinaro, Simona Gerocarni Nappo, Paolo Caione, Maria Mendoza-Sagaon, Guidelines of the Italian Society of Videosurgery (SIVI) in Infancy for the minimally invasive treatment of Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis in neonates and infants , La Pediatria Medica e Chirurgica: Vol. 42 No. 1 (2020)
You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.