Diagnosis and treatment of female genital schistosomiasis.

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by infection with parasitic worms of the genus Schistosoma. These blood flukes release immunogenic eggs that can become trapped within the body and cause female genital schistosomiasis (FGS). FGS is predominant in areas endemic for urogenital schistosomiasis. FGS is challenging to diagnose with the currently available methods, especially in the low-resource areas where FGS predominantly occurs. Tailored diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are required to diagnose and treat FGS, given its association with poor reproductive health outcomes. This Series paper is the second in a series discussing unique sex-specific aspects of schistosome infections in women and girls. We summarise the global literature around diagnostic techniques and treatment strategies for FGS and introduce the concept of FGS subtypes: visual, histological, and molecular.