Extraurinary schistosomiasis in Southern Iraq

Area of Science:

• Medical Parasitology
• Histopathology
• Public Health

Background:

• Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by Schistosoma worms.
• Schistosoma haematobium typically affects the urinary tract but can manifest elsewhere.
• Extraurinary schistosomiasis presents diagnostic challenges, especially when not suspected.

Purpose of the Study:

• To retrospectively analyze cases of extraurinary schistosomiasis due to Schistosoma haematobium.
• To identify the common and unusual sites of infection.
• To highlight the diagnostic gap between clinical suspicion and histopathological findings.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective histopathological review of 96 cases over 12 years in Southern Iraq.
• Analysis of affected organ systems and patient demographics.
• Comparison of initial clinical diagnosis with final histopathological diagnosis.

Main Results:

• Ninety-six cases of extraurinary Schistosoma haematobium infection were identified.
• Most cases involved the female genital system (29), lower intestinal tract (32), and male genital system (15).
• Unusual sites included lymph nodes, skin, liver, and lungs (20 cases). Clinicians did not suspect schistosomiasis initially in any case.

Conclusions:

• Schistosoma haematobium frequently causes extraurinary schistosomiasis, particularly in the genital and intestinal tracts.
• The parasite can infect a wide range of unusual organs.
• Histopathological diagnosis is crucial as clinical suspicion for schistosomiasis is often absent.