Objective: Female genital tract disorders as a possible complication of schistosomiasis.
Design: Literature review focused on pathogenesis and clinical symptoms of female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) including diagnosis and therapy of the disease.
Setting: National Reference Laboratory for Tissue Helminthoses, Prague.
Methods: An analysis of literature data dealing with the health hazards due to bathing in natural freshwater bodies in tropics and subtropics.
Results: Intestinal and urinary schistosomiasis are occasionally detected in the Czech Republic, therefore, genital form of the disease in females cannot be excluded in gynecological practice.
Conclusion: Until the present time the disease represents an uncommon finding in the routine gynecological practice in Europe and, due to a variety of symptoms which accompany FGS, the diagnosis of the disease can be delayed. As the number of immigrants from endemic countries as well as the number of travellers to these regions arises in the Czech Republic at present, the paper, therefore, summarises recent parasitological, clinical and epidemiological characteristics of female genital schistosomiasis.