Case #309 – October, 2011
A 19-year-old male presented to his health care provider with moderate abdominal cramping and intermittent diarrhea that started approximately one week following a camping trip in the southeastern United States. A fecal specimen in 10% formalin was submitted for ova-and-parasite (O&P) examination. A formalin-ethyl acetate (FEA) concentrate was performed and Figures A and B show what was observed at 400x magnification in a wet mount preparation. The objects measured 17-20 micrometers on average. What is your diagnosis? Based on what criteria?
Figure A
Figure B
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.