Placental Schistosoma Haematobium Infection in a German Returnee from Malawi

Overview

Journal Infection

Date 2014 Sep 20

PMID 25234200

Citations 9

Authors

B T Schleenvoigt

M Gajda

M Baier

T Groten

H Oppel-Heuchel

M O Grimm

W Pfister

J Richter

M W Pletz

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is a widespread helminthic infection which sometimes may affect travelers to endemic areas. We report on a case of urogenital and placental schistosomiasis in a 28-year-old German woman who had been exposed to schistosomiasis in Lake Malawi one year earlier. She experienced painless macrohaematuria in her 21st week of pregnancy. Cystoscopy revealed vesical lesions typical for urogenital schistosomiasis. Histopathology confirmed ova of Schistosoma (S.) haematobium. The patient was treated with praziquantel 40 mg/kg/body weight/day for 3 days. After 285 days of gestation and 18 weeks post treatment, the patient delivered a healthy girl. Histopathology of placenta revealed eggs of S. haematobium in placental stroma. The infant proved negative for anti-Schistosoma spp. antibodies at the age of 15 months. This is the first report on placental schistosomiasis since 1980 and the first case occurring in a traveler.

Citing Articles

Human Placental Schistosomiasis-A Systematic Review of the Literature.

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Hepatitis E, Schistosomiasis and Echinococcosis-Prevalence in a Cohort of Pregnant Migrants in Germany and Their Influence on Fetal Growth Restriction.

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[Study of the current status of Schistosoma haematobium infection in the European Union. An approach to the possible risk in Spain].

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Bustinduy A, Stothard J, Friedman J Br Med Bull. 2017; 123(1):115-125.

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Improvement of a tissue maceration technique for the determination of placental involvement in schistosomiasis.

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