BACKGROUND: The purpose of this investigation was to study with lung scintigraphy and spirometry, the lung involvement in patients with hepatosplenic masonic schistosomiasis previously treated clinically and surgically. METHOD: Thirty young patients with hepatoesplenic mansonic schistosomiasis previously treated clinical and surgically were examined by pulmonary scintigraphy and spirometry. RESULTS: Pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy detected alterations in 33.3% of the patients and the spirometry demonstrated a restrictive respiratory pattern in 30% of them. From these results one can observe a small prevalence of the pulmonary schistosomiasis as compared to the literature. The probable explanation could be due to precocious clinical and surgical treatment, which promote the involution of the granuloma, the basic lesion of the pulmonary schistosomiasis. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of lung involvement, based on Nuclear Medicine study, was lower than non treated patients reported in the literature, however restrictive respiratory pattern remains high and deserves special attention in the follow up and management of these patients.
Schistosomiasis mansoni; Pulmonary schistosomiasis; Pulmonary scintigraphy; Spirometry
