Schistosomiasis as a Cause of Chronic Lower Abdominal Pain

BACKGROUND Chronic intestinal schistosomiasis is rare in the United Kingdom. The symptoms are nonspecific and may mimic several other gastrointestinal conditions. We present a case of chronic intestinal schistosomiasis in a West Indian woman presenting to a genitourinary clinic. CASE The patient presented with chronic lower abdominal pain and dysuria. A sexually transmitted disease (STD) screen was negative and midstream urine cultures were sterile. A rectal biopsy revealed a non-necrotizing granulomatous reaction around the ova of Schistosoma. Her symptoms resolved with anti-schistosomiasis therapy. CONCLUSION This case illustrates that physicians should be aware of chronic schistosomiasis in the differential diagnosis of chronic lower abdominal pain in women who have come from or visited areas where schistosomiasis is endemic.