August, 2004

Case 137:
An eight-year-old boy was taken to his family physician after three days of intermittent abdominal cramping, frequent and occasionally loose, foul smelling stools, and frequent flatulence.  The boy had been to a local lake one week before the symptoms first appeared.  The physician requested a stool specimen be collected and an ova and parasites (O & P) exam performed.  The following images were taken from a trichrome stained PVA stool smear.  What is your diagnosis?  Based on what criteria?

A	B

C

Click here for the answer to Case 137.

Case 138:
A 58-year-old man was seen by his physician for fever, shaking, chills, and fatigue.  The man explained that the clinical features reminded him of malaria symptoms he had a few years ago.  The physician ordered a blood film exam.  The following images were captured from a Wrights-Giemsa stained blood film.  What is your diagnosis?  Based on what criteria?

A	B

C	D

Click here for the answer to Case 138.

Images presented in the monthly case studies are from specimens submitted for diagnosis or archiving.  On rare occasions, clinical histories given may be partly fictitious.