Annual report / Department of Public Health, Research Institute and Endemic Diseases Hospital.

  • Egypt. Maṣlaḥat al-Ṣiḥḥah al-ʻUmūmīyah. Research Institute and Endemic Diseases Hospital.
Date:
[1934]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report / Department of Public Health, Research Institute and Endemic Diseases Hospital. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    130/180 (page 100)
    In 23 cases of uncomplicated Bilharzia with clinically normal livers, studies of liver functions have shown the following :— (1) The galactose test (blood-sugar curve) was positive in 8 cases, i.e. 25 per cent. (2) The icterus-index was higher than normal in 2 cases, i.e. about 9 per cent. (3) Urobilinogen was positive in 3 cases, i.e. about 13 per cent. These manifestations of disturbed liver functions disappeared more or less completely under anti-bilharzial treatment and suggest that Bilharzia is the causative agent. These cases constitute the pre-clinical manifestations of hepatic Bilharziasis, In 20 cases of uncomplicated Bilharzia with clinical evidence of pathological livers (enlargement, cirrhosis, etc.), studies of the liver functions have shown the following :— (1) Galactose test (blood-sugar curve) was found to be positive in 7 case, i.e. 35 per cent. > , (2) The icterus-index was higher than normal in 3 cases, i.e. 15 per cent. (3) Urobilinogen was positive in 4 cases, i.e. 20 per cent. Anti-bilharzial treatment resulted in improvement of these disturbances in more than half the cases. In addition some cases with enlarged smooth livers (no evidence of cirrhosis) showed moderate reduction in size at the end of treatment. This reduction, occurring in the short period of treatment and not associated with any signs of increased portal obstruction, suggests that it is a result of improvement and not due to advanced cirrhosis. These investigations show how frequently the liver is affected in Bilharzia not only clinically but also pre-clinically (functionally without any clinica] manifestations) and how this affection is influenced by anti-bilharzial treatment. ,* “ , » • _ ^ . Bilharzial Haemospermia. ✓ v ■ x Blood in the semen may occur in many diseases, whether inflammatory, traumatic or neoplasmic of one or more of the following organs:— Testes, epididymis, ductus deferens, seminal vesicles, prostate, Cooper’s glands and the urethra. To diagnose a case of haemospermia, these organs must therefore be thoroughly examined. All may be affected in Bilharzia.