Experimental cerebral schistosomiasis japonica in primates.

Aspects of the pathogenesis of cerebral schistosomiasis have been elucidated. Arterial embolization alone, by either worms or eggs, does not appear to be likely as a major cause of the disease. When large numbers of eggs enter the brain, sensitization may play a role in the occurrence of neurological signs. These studies support but do not prove the theory that worms in the cerebral veins lay eggs that then cause the disease.