Reduction of Pathological Findings in Urine and Bladder Lesions in Infection with Schistosoma haematobium after Treatment with Praziquantel

Egg output, proteinuria, erythrocyturia, and leukocyturia were quantitatively assessed in six schoolchildren with urinary schistosomiasis due to Schistosoma haematobium on 5 days before and 1-35 and 61-65 days after administration of praziquantel (40 mg/kg). Twenty days after therapy, egg output had decreased from a median of 310 before therapy to less than one egg per 10 ml of urine. This decrease was paralleled by a reduction in proteinuria (1.01 g/liter), erythrocyturia (2,142/microliter), and leukocyturia (803/microliter) to normal values. Between days 31-35 and 61-65, five of the six patients had no detectable viable eggs on five consecutive days. Thickening of the bladder wall and vesical polyps detected by ultrasonography returned to a normal appearance one month after treatment. However, dilatation of the renal collecting system showed no significant reduction.