May, 2006

Case 179:
A group of refugees from Southeast Asia were being screened for parasites as part of a medical evaluation.  Stool specimens were collected and processed.  Examination of a wet mount from a formalin-ethyl acetate (FEA) concentration of one individual's specimen revealed the object seen in Figure A.  The objects were seen in low numbers and measured approximately 75 µm in length.  What is your diagnosis?  Based on what criteria?

A

Click here for the answer to Case 179.

Case 180:
A 27-year-old woman who had been working in Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam for one and a half years was visiting relatives in the U.S.  While she was in the U.S., she visited a physician for recurring abdominal discomfort, bloating, and frequent bowel movements that she had experienced over the last two months.  The physician asked her to submit stool specimens for an ova and parasites examination (O & P).  A wet mount preparation was made from a FEA concentration.  Figure A, taken at 200× magnification, shows what was seen on the wet mount in low numbers.  The size of the object was approximately 135 µm in length.  What is your diagnosis?  Based on what criteria?

A

Click here for the answer to Case 180.

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.