Case #284 – September, 2010
A 10-year-old immigrant from Haiti was screened for parasites at a refugee screening clinic. Stool specimens were collected in 10% formalin and polyvinyl alcohol and sent to the local state health laboratory for testing. Figures A, C, and E show what was observed at 400x magnification in a wet mount prepared from the formalin-preserved stool. Figures B, D, and F show the same fields, respectively, but in different focal planes. The objects in Figures A and C measured on average 65 micrometers long by 40 micrometers wide. The object in Figure E measured 90 micrometers long by 45 micrometers wide. What is your diagnosis? Based on what criteria?
Figure A
Figure B
Figure C
Figure D
Figure E
Figure F
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.