Case #347 – May, 2013
Random night blood specimens were collected from over 500 subjects in an area endemic for lymphatic filariasis in coastal India. Roughly one-third of the cases were symptomatic, with or without recurrent episodes of fever and various degrees of lymphedema. The objects in Figures A and B were observed on Giemsa-stained thick blood films from several of the asymptomatic cases. The objects measured on average 220 micrometers in length. 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.