[Clinical characteristics of 16 newly discovered advanced schistosomiasis patients in Dongpo District, Meishan City, Sichuan Province].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the clinical characteristics of newly discovered advanced schistosomiasis patients in Dongpo District, Meishan City, Sichuan Province, so as to provide the reference for enhancing the clinicians' awareness for diagnosis and treatment of this disease and improving the therapeutic effect.

METHODS: The data of medical records and schedule of case survey of 16 newly discovered advanced schistosomiasis patients in Dongpo District, Meishan City, Sichuan Province were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS: The mean age of the 16 newly discovered advanced schistosomiasis patients was 63 years, and there were 10 cases at ages of over 60 years. The 16 cases included 8 men and 8 women, and 10 cases were detected in the historical hyper-endemic areas. There were 11 cases with an ascitic type of advanced schistosomiasis, 4 cases with a megalosplenia type, and one case with a colon proliferation type. The primary initial symptoms mainly included ascites, splenomegaly, hypersplenism and portal hypertension. Following inpatient treatments, 15 cases achieved clinical improvments.

CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to enhance the prevention and control of advanced schistosomiasis. If the patients with portal hypertension, hepatosplenomegaly, upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage visit a doctor, the clinicians should pay much attention to advanced schistosomiasis and they need to comprehensively analyze the clinical data in combination with the epidemiological information, clinical features and laboratory examinations, and make a correct diagnosis and give treatments timely.