Acute encephalitis caused by Schistosoma mansoni

Cerebral mansoni schistosomiasis: a systematic review of 33 cases published from 1989 to 2019

BACKGROUND

We investigated the epidemiology, clinical presentation and outcomes of individuals affected by cerebral schistosomiasis.

METHODS

This systematic review was planned in accordance with current guidelines for performing comprehensive systematic reviews and meta-analysis, including the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline.

RESULTS

Most of patients presented with seizures (48.5%), which is a non-specific symptom despite its high prevalence. There was no specific clinical manifestation that could help the diagnosis, which was made in 69.7% by histopathological analysis of brain tissue.

CONCLUSIONS

Seizures are a non-specific symptom to diagnose patients with cerebral schistosomiasis and accurate clinical indicators need to be derived through further studies.

Genital Schistosomiasis: A Report on Two Cases of Ovarian Carcinomas Containing Viable Eggs of Schistosoma mansoni

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection that is highly prevalent worldwide, with a variety of species being responsible for causing the disease. In Brazil, however, the only identified species is Schistosoma mansoni. The adult parasites inhabit the blood vessels of the hepatic portal system of the main host. The disease may range from being asymptomatic to provoking liver damage or portal hypertension. Furthermore, ectopic schistosomiasis may develop, and several hypotheses have been raised to explain the occurrence of the disease. This paper describes two cases, one in a 39-year-old woman and the other in a 47-year-old woman. Both had similar symptoms of pain and abdominal distension caused by a large abdominal/pelvic mass. Histopathology of the ovary showed a mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the intestinal type in the first patient and a papillary serous carcinoma in the second, with both tumors containing viable eggs of Schistosoma mansoni. The neoplasms probably serve as a migratory route for the adult parasites and the embolization of eggs. Nevertheless, there is insufficient evidence to confirm the malignization of a benign lesion due to the presence of Schistosoma mansoni. Few cases have been reported in the international literature on the association between ovarian schistosomiasis and neoplasms.