Which organ is most directly affected by the urinary form of schistosomiasis?

Which organ is most directly affected by the urinary form of schistosomiasis?

• A. Bladder
• B. Brain
• C. Lungs
• D. Spleen

Answer: (A)

Urinary schistosomiasis mainly targets the bladder because the adult worms reside in the pelvic venous plexuses that drain the bladder and lay eggs right in the bladder wall. This direct localization causes a local inflammatory response in the bladder mucosa, leading to symptoms like hematuria and dysuria, and over time can cause fibrosis, calcification, and even obstruction of urinary flow. While other organs like the brain, lungs, or spleen can be involved with other schistosome species or in rare disseminated cases, they are not the primary site of disease for the urinary form. So the bladder is the organ most directly affected.

Urinary schistosomiasis mainly targets the bladder because the adult worms reside in the pelvic venous plexuses that drain the bladder and lay eggs right in the bladder wall. This direct localization causes a local inflammatory response in the bladder mucosa, leading to symptoms like hematuria and dysuria, and over time can cause fibrosis, calcification, and even obstruction of urinary flow. While other organs like the brain, lungs, or spleen can be involved with other schistosome species or in rare disseminated cases, they are not the primary site of disease for the urinary form. So the bladder is the organ most directly affected.