This week's case was generously donated by Drs. Alex Fenwick and Julie Ribes at the University of Kentucky. The following structure was retrieved from bronchial washings of a patient with end-stage lung disease due to cystic fibrosis.
Most likely identification?
The object did not have any internal organization nor visible external anatomy. It displays a ribbon like morphology being flat and slender especially at the bend. Though I cannot determine exactly what it is, I would say that it is not a parasite, most likely an artifact.
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Fish bone?
ReplyDeleteForeign body and bronchoscopist will probably know or be able to elicit from patient/Mom. Kinda looks sponge-like and maybe plastic. Sacrosanct but maybe put through a section now that pics have been taken.
ReplyDeleteThe object doesn't seem to have any defining features that would suggest that it is a parasitic worm. I would report as no parasites found. My best guess as to what this is would be that given the patient had cystic fibrosis it may be some kind of mucous plug?
ReplyDeleteCould it be a piece of sausage casing? We sometimes received a specimen like this for parasite identification.
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