Four hundred fecal specimens which had been received for routine ova and parasite examination were concentrated by Formalin-ether sedimentation. Sediments were examined as saline and iodine-stained wet preparations and were stained with rhodamine-auramine O and a commercially available monoclonal fluorescent-antibody stain for oocysts of Cryptosporidium species. Examination with the fluorescent stains detected cryptosporidia in both positive specimens (0.5% prevalence), and routine direct wet-preparation examination detected cryptosporidia in one of them. Detection of only low numbers of positive specimens in our nonrisk population argues against routine use of specific and expensive stain reagents.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Questionable clinical significance of Blastocystis hominis infection.

In the period from January 1986 to July 1988, Blastocystic hominis was found in moderate and numerous quantities in 103 (1.6%) of 6,262 stool specimens examined in our laboratory. There was no significant association of the detection of B. hominis with travel history or symptoms. Indeed, 20 patients (36%) with moderate to heavy infections had no gastrointestinal symptoms, and three symptomatic patients did not show clinical improvement after elimination of the parasite. Reexamination of stool samples revealed that eight untreated patients had spontaneous disappearance of B. hominis. We conclude that B. hominis probably is not responsible for clinical symptoms when detected, and additional investigations should be pursued for other etiologies of the patient's symptoms.

Adult↗

PubMed1975

Anterior urethral diverticulum in the male: report of two cases.

Anterior urethral diverticulum in the male is relatively uncommon; 2 additional cases are presented. One of the patients had a unique fusiform dilatation of the urethra, the first to be reported in an adult as an acquried diverticulum. Features distinguishing acquired from congenital urethral diverticula are discussed.

Aged↗

PubMed1974