A case of pericardial schistosomiasis and non-Hodgkin high grade B-cell lymphoma

Michael J Boyd; Marc Mendelson; Sipho K Dlamini; Sean Wasserman; Ghaalied Fakier; Riyaadh Roberts; Nectarios S Papavarnavas

doi:10.4102/sajid.v38i1.524

A case of pericardial schistosomiasis and non-Hodgkin high grade B-cell lymphoma

S Afr J Infect Dis. 2023 Sep 29;38(1):524. doi: 10.4102/sajid.v38i1.524. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Michael J Boyd¹, Marc Mendelson^{2

3}, Sipho K Dlamini^{2

3}, Sean Wasserman^{2

3

4}, Ghaalied Fakier⁵, Riyaadh Roberts⁵, Nectarios S Papavarnavas^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
² Division of Infectious Diseases & HIV Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
³ Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
⁴ Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
⁵ Division of Anatomical Pathology, Department of Pathology and National Health Laboratory Services, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.

Abstract

Chronic schistosomiasis affects either the genitourinary or gastrointestinal tract. Rarely, schistosomes cause ectopic disease, such as in the case of a South African woman from a non-endemic province, who presented with suspected pericardial tamponade because of tuberculosis. However, histology and polymerase chain reaction from pericardial biopsy confirmed Schistosoma haematobium. A finding of mediastinal non-Hodgkin lymphoma came to light when our patient's clinical condition unexpectedly deteriorated.

Contribution: This case highlights an unusual manifestation of schistosomiasis.

Keywords: Schistosoma haematobium; non-Hodgkin lymphoma; pericardial effusion; pericardial schistosomiasis; schistosomiasis.

Publication types

Case Reports