Case #265 – December, 2009

A 29-year-old man went to a local clinic with complaints of intermittent abdominal cramping and mild diarrhea. He explained that he had been diagnosed with roundworms (Ascaris lumbricoides) three months prior and was concerned that he may not have completely cleared the infection. Stool specimens were collected in formalin and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) for routine ova and parasite (O&P) work-up. Figures A–D show what was observed in moderate numbers on a trichrome-stained smear made from the PVA specimen. The objects ranged in size from 9-12 micrometers. All images were taken at 1000x magnification. What is your diagnosis? Based on what criteria?

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.