A case of appendicitis with ova of schistosomiasis japonicum observed in the resected specimen

Abstract

A 50-year-old woman was referred to the hospital because of epigastralgia and lower abdominal pain. She visited Japan from the Philippines when she was 30 years old, and had been living in Japan after marriage to a Japanese man. We diagnosed the case as acute appendicitis, so we performed an emergency appendectomy. Pathological findings showed that many ova of schistosomiasis japonicum were found in all layers of the appendix wall.
The Kofu Basin, Yamanashi is known as the schistosomiasis japonicum plague spot in Japan. The eradication of Miyairi shellfish, the intermediate host, has diminished the risk of infection with schistosomiasis japonicum. There is the possibility of an old disease from a plague spot if ova of schistosomiasis japonicum were found by a pathology organization specimen. However, some imported infections of schistosomiasis japonicum have been reported every year recently, so we should consider the possibility of activity infection, and monitor this disease.