Schistosomiasis in urology. Outline of the problem.

Schistosomiasis very often illness in endemic countries caused by schistosoma haematobium and very rare disease, in Poland caused especially by birds flukes, and in travellers and refugees from endemic countries. It is important for urologist to keep in mind in differential diagnosis also this disease. Symptoms of the disease are primarily due to the body's reaction to the parasite's eggs and dead flukes forms, which cause inflammatory infiltrates. In the early stages, these are reversible and curable, but in later stages, they lead to recidivans haematurie, fibrosis and calcification of the affected organ, resulting in subsequent changes, bladder neck strictures, ureteral strictures, vesico-ureteral reflux, calculi in the urinary tract, squamous cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder, renal failure, and others. In neglected cases, bilharziasis manifestations are fistulas on the scrotum with pseudo-elephantiasis changes.