Case #280 – July, 2010
A 35-year-old woman went to her health care provider with complaints of abdominal pain, cramps and diarrhea. She told her doctor that she had recently returned from a business trip to Mexico. Stool was collected in 10% formalin and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) for routine ova-and-parasite (O&P) examination. Figures A–D show what was observed at 1000x magnification on a trichrome-stained slide made from the PVA-preserved stool. The objects of interest measured on average 15-17 micrometers in diameter. What is your diagnosis? Based on what criteria?
Figure A
Figure B
Figure C
Figure D
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.