HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Wittes, R. Articles by Lough, J. O. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Wittes, R. Articles by Lough, J. O.

Three Cases of Schistosomiasis Mekongi from Northern Laos

Robert Wittes^*, J. Dick MacLean^*, Clifford Law^* AND John O. Lough

^* McGill University Centre for Tropical Diseases, Montreal General Hospital
Department of Pathology, Montreal General Hospital, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1A4, Canada

Three cases of intestinal schistosomiasis acquired in northern Laos are reported. All three patients swam regularly for many years in the Mekong River near the cities of Vientiane and Luang Prabang. Morphology of the eggs found on rectal biopsy indicated infection with Schistosoma mekongi. One patient had severe portal hypertension with bleeding esophageal varices requiring a splenorenal shunt; studies of her liver biopsy showed S. mekongi eggs and periportal fibrosis. A second patient had abnormal liver function tests, and a third patient was asymptomatic. In two of the three cases, no schistosome eggs were found on stool examination, and the diagnosis was made by rectal biopsy. The implications of this new focus of infection are discussed.

Accepted for publication April 19, 1984.