Pathologic Effects of Schistosomiasis in Ibadan, Western State of Nigeria

Abstract

The incidence and intensity of schistosomiasis in Ibadan in the Western State of Nigeria were estimated by examining the bladder, in 673 unselected cadavers, by mucosal snip and by digests of other tissues for the presence of Schistosoma eggs. Tissue from the rectum, kidney, liver, lung, and spleen was digested, and the egg load was compared with that found in the bladder and with the histopathological findings. The pathological findings in cadavers with schistosome infections and in noninfected cadavers were compared. In 135 cadavers, eggs of Schistosoma haematobium were found (20%), the number in the bladder per gram of tissue varying from 3 to 84,600, with a mean of 7,570. Egg loads were higher in males than in females, and they were lower in persons who died after 40 years of age. In 10 instances, eggs of Schistosoma mansoni were also detected. The mortality caused by the infection was considered low, but hydroureter and hydronephrosis were relatively common complications; terminal, acute pyelonephritis is also sometimes a hazard. Severe pathologic changes in the other systems were not noted, but a significantly higher incidence of lymphoreticular tumors was noted in cases with schistosome infections.