Summary

A fatal case of bleeding gastric varices, resulting from cirrhosis of the liver produced by eggs of Schistosoma mansoni and associated with worms in the varices, has been presented. Factors that might account for the unusual location of the worms and the possible significance have been discussed. It is suggested that a careful post-mortem search of the cardio-esophageal veins in similar cases of persons who had lived in endemic foci of schistosomiasis might lead to the discovery of worms in this ectopic position.