Tumoural form of cerebellar schistosomiasis mansoni. Report of a surgically treated case

Summary

A case of the tumoural form of cerebellar Schistosomiasis mansoni is described. The patient was a 35-year-old female, healthy until one year ago, when she started to show cerebellar and vestibular symptoms. Computerized tomography was performed and showed an expanding lesion in the cerebellar vermis and roof of the fourth ventricle, which was surgically removed. On histopathological examination numerous S. mansoni ova involved in chronic granulomatous inflammation were found. Innumerable granulomas in the productive and healing phases of fibrosis as well as rare ones in the necrotic-exudative phase were observed. This case is compared with another three previously reported in the literature. The clinical picture, diagnostic methods, the relation to the other forms of visceral involvement in Schistosomiasis mansoni and how the parasite reaches the brain are commented upon.