Case #169 – December, 2005
A 28-year-old man complained of gastrointestinal pain and bloating. At the request of his health care provider, he submitted a fecal specimen preserved in low viscosity polyvinyl alcohol (LV-PVA). A trichrome stained smear was made from some of the specimen. Figure A shows an object, measuring 10 to 12 micrometers at its greatest diameter, that was seen in low numbers on the slide. What is your diagnosis? Based on what criteria?
Figure A
Images presented in the DPDx case studies are from specimens submitted for diagnosis or archiving. On rare occasions, clinical histories given may be partly fictitious.