Striation of the renal pelvis and ureter in bilharziasis

The intravenous urograms of 80 patients aged 16 to 29 (mean 23) with urinary bilharziasis were reviewed to determine the frequency of striation of the renal pelvis and ureter. Another 345 patients aged 16 to 29 (mean 22) with various abdominal and urological symptoms, had intravenous urography during the same period and were used as a reference group. Striation of the upper urinary tract was demonstrated in 21% of the patients with urinary schistosomiasis but in only 3% of the reference group. Striation constitutes an early radiological change in this disease.