A Tale of Mummified Eggs in Urine of a US Veteran

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that remains a major threat to global health. Schistosoma is known to cause chronic urogenital infections with an increased risk of bladder carcinomas. We present a case of chronic latent Schistosoma haematobium infection in a US veteran identified several years after his active military duty in Iraq and Kuwait. This case highlights the need for proactive screening of returning veterans from endemic areas. It also leads us to wonder how many infected veterans remain undiagnosed, and how many of those who develop urothelial carcinomas had prior exposure to schistosomiasis during their service.