Sunday, June 1, 2014

Case of the Week 306

The following case was generously donated by Dr. Tom Davis and Dr. Ryan Relich (a.k.a. MicrobeMan).

This was an incidental finding during colonoscopy and polypectomy in a 60-year old female of unknown nationality and travel history.  Identification?

Hematoxylin and Eosin



 


11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not animal, not mineral, but vegetable.
BW in vt

Unknown said...

For me, it doesn't look like any parasite I know. IMHO, it is most likely some plant material.

Anonymous said...

The object did not show a buccal cavity nor any internal organ i.e esophagus and digestive tract which would be present if it were a true parasite. I would classify it as an artifact.

Florida Fan

Anonymous said...

No definitive internal structures, I agree artifact.


Lee

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Blaine Mathison said...

lots of artifact answers... Here's a few hints: annulated cuticle, nucleated hypodermis, bacillary bands, stichocytes, variation is width along length. :)

Lukus Roberts said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lukus Roberts said...

morphology indicates nematode, Stichocytes indicate the parasite belongs to the Trichocephalida, different sized cross sections suggest an animal with varying body width, annulated cuticle suggests Trichuria trichuris, human whipworm which is also consistent with anatomical location of discovery.

Unknown said...

Of course, Lukus is right and I feel ashamed! I know whipworms but not from histological sections. It really didn't come to my mind but given the hints, it's clear now.

Anonymous said...

Much has to be learned. Being techs, we know the worm in its "mundane" morphology and through the recognition of its ova, not in its histologic presentation.

Florida Fan

Anonymous said...

LOL, I agree with Florida Fan, show me the egg or the worm, NO PROBLEM, the histologic sections...we leave that to pathology..LOL!
Lee