A BIOPSlA RETAL NO DIAGNÓSTICO DA ESQUISTOSOMOSE MANSONI

Abstract

The A.A. reviewed, in the first place, the literature on the rectal biopsy in the diagnosis of Schistosomiasis Mansoni starting with the original contribution of Ottolina and Atencio and the improvements introduced in this method of examination. In the second place the A.A. give the results they obtained in 42 patients in which 53 rectal biopsies were clone by examination of a transparence found on a small piece removed from the 1st Houston valve. Ali patients carne from endemic foci of Manson's Schistosomiasis and were clinically or epidemiologically suspected of being infected. Each rectoscopic biopsy was checked by frequent stool examinations by a sedimentation technic (Hoffmann, Pons, Janer).In 15 cases the intradermal reaction for schistosomiasis was also practised employing as antigen the adult schistosomes. The results of this paper are considered preliminary since · the A.A. are collecting a larger number of cases for latter publication. The A.A. cases were analysed in two groups: 17 patients in which the rectal biopsy by transparence revealed the schistosomiasis infection and other 25 cases in which the same diagnostic procedure resulted negative. In the first group the faeces examinations were either positive or negative for Schistosoma mansoni eggs, and in the second group the faeces examinations were always negative. In a patient of the 2nd group the clinicai diagnosis of schistosomiasis was confirmed by the liver biopsy performed during the splenectomy.