[Sonographic evaluation of periportal fibrosis in children living in a Schistosoma mansoni endemic region]

Ultrasound aspects and risk factors associated with urogenital schistosomiasis among primary school children in Mali

BACKGROUND

Urogenital schistosomiasis is endemic in Mali and is a major cause of serious morbidity in large parts of the world. This disease is responsible for many socio-economic and public health issues. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the disease on morbidity and to describe demographic and socioeconomic factors in relation to the status of children with urogenital schistosomiasis in Mali.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study in November 2021 of 971 children aged 6 to 14 years selected at random from six schools in three districts in the Kayes Region of Mali. Demographic and socioeconomic data were collected on survey forms. Clinical data were collected following a medical consultation. Hematuria was systematically searched for through the use of strips. The search for Schistosoma haematobium eggs in urine was done via the filtration method. The urinary tract was examined by ultrasound. Associations between each of these variables and disease infection were tested using multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis detected was 50.2%. The average intensity of infection was 36 eggs/10 ml of urine. The associated risk factors for urogenital schistosomiasis showed that children who bathed, used the river/pond as a domestic water source, and who habitually urinated in the river/pond were more affected (P < 0.05). Children with farming parents were most affected (P = 0.032). The collection of clinical signs revealed that boys had more pollakiuria (58.6%) and dysuria (46.4%) than girls. Ultrasound data showed that focal lesion rates were recorded in all villages with the lowest rate in Diakalel (56.1%). Ultrasound and parasitological findings showed that irregularity and thickening were strongly associated with urinary schistosomiasis (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Schistosoma haematobium infection was still endemic in the study site despite more than a decade of mass treatment with praziquantel. However, the high percentage of symptoms associated with high intensity reinforces the idea that further studies in terms of schistosomiasis-related morbidity are still needed.

Ultrasonography of gallbladder abnormalities due to schistosomiasis

After malaria, schistosomiasis remains the most important tropical parasitic disease in large parts of the world. Schistosomiasis has recently re-emerged in Southern Europe. Intestinal schistosomiasis is caused by most Schistosoma (S.) spp. pathogenic to humans and leads to chronic inflammation and fibrosis of the colon as well as to liver fibrosis. Gallbladder abnormalities usually occur in patients with advanced hepatic portal fibrosis due to Schistosoma mansoni infection. Occasionally, gallbladder abnormalities have been seen also in children and occurring without associated overt liver abnormalities.The specific S. mansoni-induced gallbladder abnormalities detectable by ultrasound include typical hyperechogenic wall thickening with external gallbladder wall protuberances. The luminal wall surface is smooth. The condition is usually clinically silent although some cases of symptomatic cholecystitis have been described. The ultrasonographic Murphy response is negative. Gallbladder contractility is impaired but sludge and calculi occur rarely. Contrary to other trematodes such as liver flukes, S. mansoni does not obstruct the biliary tract. Advanced gallbladder fibrosis is unlikely to reverse after therapy.

The WHO ultrasonography protocol for assessing hepatic morbidity due to Schistosoma mansoni. Acceptance and evolution over 12 years

The aim of this study is to review the worldwide acceptance of the World Health Organization (WHO) ultrasound protocol for assessing hepatosplenic morbidity due to Schistosoma mansoni since its publication in 2000. A PubMed literature research using the keywords "schistosomiasis and ultrasound," "schistosomiasis and ultrasonography," and "S. mansoni and ultrasound" from 2001 to 2012 was performed. Case reports, reviews, reports on abnormalities due to parasites other than S. mansoni, organ involvement other than the human liver, and reports where ultrasound method was not described were excluded. Six studies were retrieved from other Brazilian sources. Sixty studies on 37,424 patients from 15 countries were analyzed. The WHO protocol was applied with increasing frequency from 43.75% in the years 2001 to 2004 to 84.61% in 2009 to 2012. Results obtained using the pictorial image pattern approach of the protocol are reported in 38/41 studies, whereas measurements of portal branch walls were applied in 19/41 and results reported in 2/41 studies only. The practical usefulness of the pictorial approach of the WHO protocol is confirmed by its wide acceptance. This approach alone proved satisfactory in terms of reproducibility, assessment of evolution of pathology, and comparability between different settings. The measurements of portal branches, also part of the protocol, may be omitted without losing relevant information since results obtained by these measurements are nonspecific. This would save resources by reducing the time required for each examination. It is also more feasible for examiners who are not specialized in medical imaging. As with all protocols, incipient liver fibrosis is difficult to distinguish from normal ultrasound findings of the liver. The ability of this protocol to predict complications in severe cases should be further evaluated in a higher number of patients.

[Calcified portal vein thrombosis in the follow-up of surgical portocaval shunt: Sonographic findings and differential diagnosis]

The case of a patient with large hepatic calcifications along the portal vascular network caused by long-standing portal vein thrombosis is presented. These calcifications appeared in extended portal thrombosis and were confirmed in follow-up for a surgical portocaval shunt related to portal hypertension. The differential diagnosis should distinguish these from hyperechoic patterns observed along the periportal vascular network, including intraductal biliary stones, portal venous gas, gas in the biliary tract, biliary comet tail artifacts, periportal fibrosis in parasitosis, and calcifications of the hepatic arteries.

Implementation of national schistosomiasis control programmes in West Africa

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are countries endemic for schistosomiasis, with a high predominance of Schistosoma haematobium. With the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, national control programmes were launched in these countries in 2004. Here, we describe the progress of implementation for each programme and the challenges for maintaining sustainability for schistosomiasis control in these countries.

Prevalence of schistomasiasis lesions detected by ultrasonography in children in Molodo, Mali

AIM

To study schistomasiasis infection in school children in Molodo, an irrigated rice growing region of Mali, by determining the prevalence of schistomasiasis and lesions identified by ultrasonography among children living in this region.

METHODS

This cross sectional study included 346 children aged 7 to 14 years selected at random from five schools in Molodo. We tested for hematuria using urine dipsticks and searched for Schistosoma haematobium eggs in urine and S. mansoni eggs in stools. Ultrasonography of the liver, spleen and urinary tract was performed.

RESULTS

The prevalences of Schistosoma haematobium and S. mansoni infection were 72% (range: 66.9-76.6%) and 68.2% (range: 60.9-71.2%) respectively; 55.1% of the children had co-infection. Ultrasonography of the urinary tract revealed an irregular bladder wall as the most frequent abnormality (3.4% of children). Abdominal ultrasonography demonstrated type B hepatic fibrosis in four children (1.1%), type C in one (0.3%) and type D in one (0.3%).

CONCLUSION

Few schistosomiasis lesions were detected by ultrasonography compared with the prevalence of S. haematobium and S. mansoni infections. This observation is probably related to mass treatment programs conducted during a national anti-schistosomiasis program.