Pinworm, or Enterobius vermicularis, is one of the most common intestinal nematodes. The adult worms inhabit the cecum and colon. The female migrates out the anus at night to lay eggs, causing anal itching. Pinworm has a direct life cycle without an intermediate host. Diagnosis is made by detecting eggs on cellophane tape from the perianal area. Treatment involves a single dose of albendazole, with repeated doses needed to prevent reinfection due to the worm's short lifespan.
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Pinworm, or Enterobius vermicularis, is one of the most common intestinal nematodes. The adult worms inhabit the cecum and colon. The female migrates out the anus at night to lay eggs, causing anal itching. Pinworm has a direct life cycle without an intermediate host. Diagnosis is made by detecting eggs on cellophane tape from the perianal area. Treatment involves a single dose of albendazole, with repeated doses needed to prevent reinfection due to the worm's short lifespan.
Pinworm, or Enterobius vermicularis, is one of the most common intestinal nematodes. The adult worms inhabit the cecum and colon. The female migrates out the anus at night to lay eggs, causing anal itching. Pinworm has a direct life cycle without an intermediate host. Diagnosis is made by detecting eggs on cellophane tape from the perianal area. Treatment involves a single dose of albendazole, with repeated doses needed to prevent reinfection due to the worm's short lifespan.
Copyright:
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
Pinworm, or Enterobius vermicularis, is one of the most common intestinal nematodes. The adult worms inhabit the cecum and colon. The female migrates out the anus at night to lay eggs, causing anal itching. Pinworm has a direct life cycle without an intermediate host. Diagnosis is made by detecting eggs on cellophane tape from the perianal area. Treatment involves a single dose of albendazole, with repeated doses needed to prevent reinfection due to the worm's short lifespan.
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PINWORM
Enterobius vermicularis The pinworms are one of the most common
intestinal nematodes. The adult worms inhabit the cecum and colon. Right after mating, the male dies. Therefore, the male worms are rarely seen. The female worms migrate out the anus depositing eggs on the perianal skin. Humans get this infection by mouth and by autoinfection.
I.
Morphology
1. Adults: The adults look like a pin and are white in
color. The female worm measures about 8 to 13 mm in size and is fusiform in shape. The male adult is only 25mm. The tail of a male is curved. They die right after mating, thus males are rarely seen. The anterior end tapers and is flanked on each side by cuticular extensions called cephalic alae. The esophagus is slender, terminating in a prominent posterior bulb , which is called esophageal bulb. The cephalic alae and esophageal bulb are important in identification of the species. 2. Egg: planoconvex/persimmon seed-like, colorless and transparent, thick and asymmetric shell, content is a larva.
Adult worm of E. vermiculais
Anterior part of E. vermicularis. Note cephalic alae and esophageal bulb .
Egg Egg: 50 to 60m by 25 m, persimmon seed-like, colorless and transparent, thick and asymmetric shell, content is a larva. Anal smear showing large numbers of Enterobius eggs under the lower power. In the background are also two Ascaris eggs.
Ii. Life Cycle
1. site of inhabitation: cecum and colon 2. infective stage: embryonated egg
3. infective route: by mouth
4. without intermediate host and reservoir host
5. life span of female adults: 1-2 months
III. Symptomatology About one-third of pinworm-infected persons are asymptomatic, The adult worms may cause slight irritation of the intestinal mucosa. Major symptom is anal pruritus, which associates with the nocturnal migration of the gravid females from the anus and deposition of eggs in the perianal folds of the skin. Restlessness, nervousness, and irritability, probably resulting from poor sleep associated with anal pruritus,. In young girls, migration of the worms may produce vaginitis and salpingitis or granuloma of the peritoneal cavity.
Adult Pinworms on the perianal skin
IV. Diagnosis Diagnosis depends on recovery of the characteristic eggs. The eggs and the female adults can be removed from the folds of the
skin in the perianal regions by the use of the
cellophane tape method. The examination should be made in the morning, before the patient has washed or defecated
V.Treatment and prevention
Since the life span of the pinworm is less than two months, the major problem is reinfection. Albendazole is the drug of choice. pyrantal, mebandazole- single dose Piperazine- daily for 1 week Repeated retreatment may be necessary for a radical cure. repeated tx after 2 weeks.. Tx the whole family/ group of chilren Prevention: 1. treat the patients and carriers 2. individual health 3. public health 4. health education and hygienic habits
