Schistosoma haematobium ova in human semen: a case report

OBJECTIVE: To report a rare case of schistosomiasis observed during semen evaluation. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENT(S): A 30-year-old man referred for semen analysis. INTERVENTIONS(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES(S): Poor sperm motility and viability. RESULT(S): The patient produced 9.8 mL of brown colored semen with a bad odor. Total and progressive sperm motility were 9% and 2%, respectively. Sperm concentration was 112 million/mL. Microscopic semen evaluation showed slight sperm agglutination, a large number of Schistosoma haematobium ova, extensive debris, and a large numberot of amorphous cells. Approximately 20 million/mL of neutrophils were observed in the ejaculate. The sperm viability was extremely low (13%). Sperm morphology was 6% normal, and most abnormal sperm had coiled tails in addition to other abnormalities. CONCLUSION(S): A microscopic examination of semen from suspected Schistosoma haematobium–infected patients may not only help in confirming diagnosis but may also highlight the underlying infertility due to this infestation. Such cases are rarely observed in andrology laboratories; therefore, it is important to train all testing staff on rare semen samples.