Sonographical morphometrical findings of the liver and spleen in Sudanese patients with Schistosoma mansoni induced periportal fibrosis.

Sonographic measurements of the liver, spleen and related blood vessels were performed in 87 healthy controls and in 50 patients with periportal fibrosis (pF) as well as in 52 patients with pF and at least one episode of gastro-oesophageal bleeding due to chronic Schistosoma mansoni infection. There was a progressing shrinkage of the liver paralleled by an increasing rate of patients with a larger left than right liver lobe as involvement of pF due to S. mansoni infection progressed. This was accompanied by an increasing percentage of pathological gallbladder wall enlargement, splenomegaly and an increasing portal vein diameter. It is suggested that organomorphometrical parameters of the liver and spleen can be used for sonographical evaluation of patients with S. mansoni infection as these may be useful for their clinical assessment of the progression of disease.