June, 2008

Case 229
Wright-Giemsa stained blood smears and EDTA blood were sent for confirmatory diagnosis to the CDC from a Public Health Laboratory.  The specimens were from a 46-year-old woman, but no travel history was available.  Image A was captured from a stained thick smear; images B, C, and D were captured from a stained thin smear.  All images were taken at 1000x magnification.  What is your diagnosis?  Based on what criteria?  What other testing, if any, would you recommend?

A	B

C	D

Click here for the answer to Case 229.

Case 230
A 29-year-old man presented to his physician with recurring abdominal cramping, watery diarrhea, and general fatigue.  A stool specimen was collected for ova and parasite testing.  The laboratory used a commercially available concentration method.  The objects shown in Figures A and B were observed at 1000x magnification.  The objects measured 40 and 43 micrometers in length respectively.  What is your diagnosis?  Based on what criteria?

A	B

Click here for the answer to Case 230.

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.