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A parasitologist's view of the world
Welcome to Parasite Case of the Week
Every week I will post a new Case, along with the answer to the previous case. Please feel free to write in with your answers, comments, and questions. Also check out my image archive website at http://parasitewonders.com. Enjoy!
The Fine Print:
Please note that all opinions expressed here are mine and not my employer. Information provided is for educational purposes only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. I do not accept medical consults from patients.
The Fine Print:
Please note that all opinions expressed here are mine and not my employer. Information provided is for educational purposes only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. I do not accept medical consults from patients.
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8 comments:
Size and morphology compatible with Trichomonas vaginalis. At higher magnification, we may see what seems to be a flagella.
Florida Fan
clue cells
Trochomona Vaginalis
I think Trichomonas vaginalis, I think I can see faint flagella.
Lee
Well Trichomonas vaginalis would seem most likely due to the symptomatology and site of infection, although I see nothing I would consider flagella and the general morphology is not all that consistent with T.vaginalis. To me these resemble trophozoites of Chilomastix mesnili, with the nucleus at one end, eccentric karyosomes, oval shape with some nice pointed specimens on picture 4, and small size. However this would be a very unusual presentation since C.mesnili is enteric and generally considered non-pathogenic. All this in mind, T.vaginalis is more likely but C.mesnili would be fascinating!
Trichomonas vaginalis would be the obvious answer considering the source. Without being able to focus in and out to see the flagellum or the undulating membrane makes this difficult (but I think I can see both if I turn my imagination up ). The only thing that makes me nervous are the nuclei. They don’t look quite right to me, I think of T.vag as having more solidly colored nuclei, and these you can almost see a central karyosome and smooth peripheral chromatin more like an Entamoeba. But my vote is T.vag.
Trichomonas vaginalis, in my opinion...
The site of infection is more consistent with T. vaginalis, the very elongated to oblong nucleus also agrees with such identification. We also need to keep in mind that we are looking at a three dimensional organism, and the appearance does change with the rotational axis i.e a football is elliptical on a horizontal view, but it will be round when seen from the ends.
C. mesnili would be half the size of T. vaginalis and its nucleus would be circular.
I have not seen T. vaginalis in a PAP smear, but on a Giemsa smear, the organism would show more morphology details.
Florida Fan
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