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.
DPDx is an educational resource designed for health professionals and laboratory scientists. For an overview including prevention, control, and treatment visit www.cdc.gov/parasites/.