Schistosomiasis of the female genital tract. A histopathological study of 176 cases from Malawi

Abstract The histopathology of 176 cases of gynaecological schistosomiasis reported from Malawi during the period 1976–1980 was reviewed. Schistosomal infection was found throughout the genital tract, with 60% of cases involving the cervix. The dominant tissue reactions to ova were categorized into five histopathological groups A–E and for each site the relationship between histopathological and clinical features was explored. No evidence was found linking schistosomiasis with cancer of the genital tract. Schistosomiasis was a significant cause of gynaecological morbidity, particularly when infection involved the lower genital tract; however in a proportion of cases ova were found coincidentally in other lesions or normal tissues, and were not apparently causally linked with symptoms. The findings are discussed in relation to previous studies of gynaecological schistosomiasis.