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Monthly Case Studies [Last Modified: ]

Case 57
A 32-year-old woman from Sudan submitted a stool specimen as part of a general physical examination.  She was a refugee from Sudan and had been living in a holding camp in the Middle East before relocating to Texas.  The woman’s health was compromised because of poor living conditions, including inadequate sanitary facilities and exposure to animals.  The parasitology lab at the Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Laboratories identified the organism shown in Figures A and B.  Figure A was captured from a direct wet mount prepared from a formalin preserved specimen and stained with Lugol’s iodine.  Figure B, which simulates focusing through four different planes, is a series of four individual images of the same organism from a PVA stool smear stained with the trichrome stain.  The objects ranged in size from 10 to 18 micrometers in diameter.  What is your diagnosis?  Based on what criteria?

Case 57 Image A
A

 

Case 57 Image B
B
(Simulating focusing)

Acknowledgement: This case was kindly contributed by the Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Laboratories.

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Case 58
Laboratorians in the Division of Parasitic Diseases at CDC examined a stool specimen from an HIV-positive patient.  Examination of the stool specimen included a formalin-ethyl acetate (FEA) concentration and smears stained with trichrome.  Figures A, B, and C show cysts and Figures D, E, and F show trophozoites that were found on the trichrome stained smear.  What is your diagnosis?   Based on what criteria?

Case 58 Image A Case 58 Image B
A B

 

Case 58 Image C Case 58 Image D
C D

 

Case 58 Image E Case 58 Image F
E F

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