Genital Schistosomiasis After a Missed Diagnosis of Katayama Syndrome

Schistosomiasis is increasingly reported in travelers to subSaharan Africa.1,2 Bathing in tropical lakes3 or in other fresh waters2,4 is a recognized risk factor for acquiring it. Most cases present with cercarial dermatitis or, 3 to 6 weeks after infection by Schistosoma mansoni1,2 (occasionnally Schistosoma haematobium), with acute schistosomiasis (Katayama syndrome), when the immune response of the body to the larval maturation and migration elicits fever, sweating, arthralgia, urticaria, and digestive or respiratory symptoms. Late and unusual clinical presentations in travelers include features of spinal cord compression5,6 and ectopic dermal or genital localization,3,7 which can result from a missed diagnosis of the early symptoms of the disease. In the following case, a female traveler developed genital schistosomiasis 1 year after a missed diagnosis of Katayama syndrome.