An iodine wet mount of stool shows an egg about 70 × 50 μm. Which parasite is identified?

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Multiple Choice

An iodine wet mount of stool shows an egg about 70 × 50 μm. Which parasite is identified?

Explanation:
Egg size and shell features on a stool iodine mount guide which parasite is present. An egg about 70 × 50 μm is large for intestinal nematodes and matches Ascaris lumbricoides, which typically has eggs in the 60–75 μm by 40–50 μm range and a thick, rough, mammillated shell. This combination of large size and characteristic surface distinguishes it from the others: hookworm eggs are typically smaller (around 60 × 40 μm) and eggs of Enterobius are even smaller with a flattened side, while Trichuris eggs are barrel-shaped with polar plugs. Thus the observed egg size and morphology best identify Ascaris lumbricoides.

Egg size and shell features on a stool iodine mount guide which parasite is present. An egg about 70 × 50 μm is large for intestinal nematodes and matches Ascaris lumbricoides, which typically has eggs in the 60–75 μm by 40–50 μm range and a thick, rough, mammillated shell. This combination of large size and characteristic surface distinguishes it from the others: hookworm eggs are typically smaller (around 60 × 40 μm) and eggs of Enterobius are even smaller with a flattened side, while Trichuris eggs are barrel-shaped with polar plugs. Thus the observed egg size and morphology best identify Ascaris lumbricoides.

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