[Bulbar subconjunctival tumor secondary to periocular schistosome granuloma]

Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease, is endemic in many areas in the world. Schistosome eggs can be found in human tissues or organs, including the eye. These eggs can produce inflammatory granuloma. We report a unique and exceptional clinical case of periocular localization of schistosome granuloma.

A 12-year-old girl, living in a schistosomiasis-endemic region, presented an inflammatory subconjunctival tumor in one eye. This tumor regressed but did not completely disappear with treatment. Complementary tests showed a slight eosinophilia (500/mm(3)) in the blood and S. mansoni ova in the stools. A biopsy was performed, revealing an inflammatory granuloma with epithelioid and giant cells rich in eosinophilic polynuclear. The immunohistochemical study showed no cells with anti-CD1 and anti-CD30, excluding histocytosis X type lesion.

Although considered as exceptional, periocular localization of schistosome granuloma must be proposed, based on epidemiological, clinical and paraclinical results. Schistosomiasis may be considered as an origin of an inflammatory subconjunctival tumor found in endemic areas.