Temporal evolution of neuropathological changes in the brain of Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice: A histopathological study.

Adult worm counts (male, female, copula, and total) were determined at nine time points (weeks 7-23 post-infection) using hepatic portal perfusion.

Total worm burden fluctuated significantly over time (H = 19.78, p = 0.011), peaking at week 11 (8.0 [7-9] worms).

Histopathological scores exhibited a biphasic pattern: an acute inflammatory phase (weeks 7-13) with increasing gliosis and mononuclear infiltration, peaking at week 13 (score = 2.5), followed by a chronic phase (weeks 17-23) marked by vascular damage, neuronal degeneration, and fibrosis (score = 3.0 at week 17).