Retroperitoneal fibrosis and schistosomiasis: a causal relationship?

Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) is characterized by replacement of the normal tissue of the retroperitoneum with fibrosis and/or chronic inflammation. About two-thirds of cases of RPF are idiopathic and one-third is secondary to drugs, infections (tuberculosis, syphilis, actinomycosis, fungal infections), retroperitoneal hemorrhage, or malignancy. We report the case of a patient who was diagnosed as having RPF and schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma haematobium with histological documentation. He was treated with praziquantel and afterwards with corticosteroids with remission of RPF. To our knowledge, the association between schistosomiasis and RPF has not been described in the literature. We postulate that there is a causal relationship between these two conditions.