[Portal hypertension in mansonic schistosomiasis: repercussions of surgical treatment on the histomorphometric profile of the gastric mucosa].

The repercussions from surgical treatment for controlling portal hypertension and its effects on the gastric vasculature of young patients with mansonic schistosomiasis were investigated by digital image analysis. The study included five patients at the preoperative stage and 27 patients who had undergone surgical intervention at different times in the past: 0-2 years ago, n=4; 2-6 years ago, n=13, and more than 6 years ago, n=10. Endoscopic biopsies were taken from the mucosa of the gastric antrum and body endoscopic mucosa and the samples underwent routine histological tests after embedding in paraffin blocks. Histological thin sections were used for histomorphometric analysis of the following parameters: mean number of vessels per field, and mean diameter and thickness of the vessel walls. The results showed that, between the patients whose operation was not more than two years ago and those whose operation was more than six years ago, there was a significant decrease in the density and diameter of the vessels. These findings give support to the concept that the surgical treatment administered decreases specific histological alterations like hemorrhage and ectasia, over the long term.