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Monthy Case Studies - 2003
Case #105 - April, 2003
A 33-year-old man coughed up a worm after eating raw fish. The worm was submitted to the Connecticut Department of Public Health Laboratory for identification and then forwarded to CDC for consultation.
Answer to Case #105
This was a case of anisakiasis, caused by a nematode in the Pseudoterranova/Contracaecum. The diagnostic features observed in this specimen did not allow identification to the genus level. Diagnostic features observed included:
- the presence of three lips, a feature common to ascarid worms.
- the presence of a prominent cecum (Figures B and C), which differentiates it from Anisakis.
More on: Anisakiasis
Images presented in the monthly case studies are from specimens submitted for diagnosis or archiving. On rare occasions, clinical histories given may be partly fictitious.