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Case #230 - June, 2008

A 29-year-old man presented to his physician with recurring abdominal cramping, watery diarrhea, and general fatigue. A stool specimen was collected for ova and parasite testing. The laboratory used a commercially available concentration method. The objects shown in Figures A and B were observed at 1000x magnification. The objects measured 40 and 43 micrometers in length respectively. What is your diagnosis? Based on what criteria?

Case230_B

Figure B

Case230_A

Figure A

Case Answer

The objects shown were artifacts, most-likely plant hairs. Although the general appearance of the objects resembled a nematode, features that helped differentiate these objects from a parasitic nematode included the small size of the objects and a lack of any internal organs.

More on: Artifacts

Images presented in the monthly case studies are from specimens submitted for diagnosis or archiving. On rare occasions, clinical histories given may be partly fictitious.

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

  • Page last reviewed: August 24, 2016
  • Page last updated: August 24, 2016
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