| [ Summary ] |
Most adult schistosomes of the Schistosoma japonicum and S. mansoni types lodge in such vascular branches as the mesenteric section of the portal vein. In the acute stage, the patient has a fever, abdominal pains and dysentery and passes ova with their stool. In the chronic stage the patient has atrophy of the liver or schistosomial liver cirrhosis. Most adult S. haematobium worms stay in the veins of the urinary bladder and the rectum, causing hematuria. The ova are passed into the urine. The diagnosis is established by the identification of ova, sometimes with the biopsy of the rectal mucous membrane and other tissues. For diagnosis, IgG antibodies are tested by using ELISA or dot-ELISA, with soluble egg antigens or other antigens. In Japan, schistosomicidal treatment is now given only to those imported cases that pass ova in the stool or urine, or that have high serologic antibody titers. |