Pediatric Neuroschistosomiasis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Sophie C H Wen; Rebecca Anderson; Monique M Ryan; Surekha Kumbla; Alison Wray; Andrew Steer

doi:10.1093/jpids/piz009

Pediatric Neuroschistosomiasis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2019 Nov 6;8(5):489-491. doi: 10.1093/jpids/piz009.

Authors

Sophie C H Wen¹, Rebecca Anderson², Monique M Ryan^{3

4

5}, Surekha Kumbla⁶, Alison Wray⁷, Andrew Steer^{2

3

8}

Affiliations

¹ Infection Management Prevention Service, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.
² Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of General Medicine, Victoria, Australia.
³ Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁴ Departments of Neurology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
⁵ Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
⁶ Departments of Medical Imaging, Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁷ Departments of Neurosurgery, Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁸ Departments of Centre for International Child Health, Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

PMID: 30840073
DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piz009

Abstract

Neuroschistosomiasis is a rare but severe manifestation of Schistosoma infection. Diagnosis is challenging and surgical biopsy is often required to confirm diagnosis and exclude malignancy. We present a pediatric case of presumed pseudotumoral cerebral schistosomiasis secondary to Schistosoma mansoni with an excellent therapeutic response to empirical praziquantel and corticosteroid treatment.

Keywords: Schistosoma mansoni; neuroschistosomiasis; pediatric.

© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Publication types

Case Reports
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Anthelmintics / therapeutic use
Brain / parasitology*
Brain / pathology
Child
Dexamethasone / therapeutic use
Feces / parasitology
Female
Glucocorticoids / therapeutic use
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Neuroschistosomiasis / diagnostic imaging*
Neuroschistosomiasis / drug therapy
Praziquantel / therapeutic use
Schistosoma mansoni / isolation & purification*
Treatment Outcome

Substances

Anthelmintics
Glucocorticoids
Praziquantel
Dexamethasone