What kind of tissue response forms granulomas and can lead to organ failure in schistosomiasis?

• A. Granuloma formation
• B. Hyperplasia
• C. Necrosis
• D. Fibrosis

Answer: (A)

Eggs deposited in tissues by the parasite provoke a chronic immune reaction that forms granulomas. A granuloma is an organized cluster of immune cells, mainly macrophages that become epithelioid cells, often with multinucleated giant cells, all surrounded by lymphocytes. This structure walls off the egg antigen that the body can’t clear. Over time, signals from the granuloma stimulate fibroblasts to produce collagen, leading to fibrosis. That scarring can distort tissue architecture and impair function, such as in the liver where periportal fibrosis can cause portal hypertension and eventually organ failure. Other processes like hyperplasia (increased cell numbers) or necrosis (cell death) don’t describe the granulomatous inflammation around the eggs, and fibrosis is a consequence rather than the initiating response.