Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
(Pinworms)
Enterobius vermicularis
• Common parasite of younger
children
• Males with coiled tail; females
with pointed tail and distension of
the body due to the large number
of eggs in the uteri
Male pinworm
Pinworm ova
- D –shaped
- Flattened on
one end
Pinworm
Life Cycle
Life Cycle
• Sexually mature worms usually inhabit the colon of the
human intestinal tract but they can spread to adjacent
regions of the small intestine
• Worms feed on bacteria and epithelial cells
• Males die following copulation while eggbearing
females migrate to the perianal and perineal regions
• Stimulated by lower temperature and low oxygen levels,
they deposit their eggs and then die
• More eggs are released when the female body ruptures
• The eggs upon deposition contain immature larvae
• The infective 3rd stage larva develops within the egg
after leaving the body of the female worm
Life Cycle cont.
• Infection and reinfection occurs when
eggs containing the infective larvae are
ingested by the host
• Such eggs are usually picked up from bed
cloths or fingernails contaminated when the
host scratches the perianal zone to relieve
the itching caused by the nocturnal
migration of the female worms
• However, the light weight eggs are
sometimes airborne and so can also be
inhaled
Life Cycle cont.
• Retroinfections occur when 3rd stage
larvae hatch from perianally located eggs
and migrate back up the host’s intestinal
tract
• Ingested eggs usually hatch shortly after
reaching the duodenum
• The escaping larvae undergo molts and
development as they migrate posteriorly,
becoming sexually mature when they arrive
at the colon
Pathology and Diagnosis
• Pinworms are usually not very pathogenic
• Clinical symptoms are often include anal itching
• Heavy infections in children may result in sleeplessness, loss of
weight, abdominal pain, etc.
• Diagnosis is verified when adult worms and/or eggs are detected
• The female worms emerge at night and are usually visible in the
perianal and perianal regions
• Adult worms are also observed in the feces as well
• Eggs are observed in the feces only about 5% of the time
• The most reliable procedure for finding eggs is to press a strip of
scotch tape on the perianal skin, remove it, and place it on a clean
microscope slide for examination