Adult female of Strongyloides stercoralis in respiratory secretions

Abstract

Objective: To communicate the presence of adult females, rabditoid larvae and eggs of Strongyloides stercoralis (S. stercoralis) in the respiratory secretions obtained by tracheal aspirate from a HIV-negative patient who was suffering from polymyositis, and treated with corticoids and amethopterin and assisted by pneumonia.

Methods: The respiratory secretions submitted to the Parasitology Laboratory of the Muñiz Hospital were made more concentrated by centrifugation (1 500 r/min for 15 seconds). Wet mount microscopy was performed with the pellet.

Results: It revealed adult females, rabditoid larvae and eggs of S. stercoralis. Further parasitological studies performed after the start of the treatment with ivermectin on fresh fecal samples, gastric lavages and tracheal aspirates showed scanty mobile filariform and rabditoid larvae of the same parasite.

Conclusions: The presence of adult female S. stercoralis which has never been observed before in the clinical samples submitted to our Laboratory for investigation can be considered as an indirect marker of the severe immunosupression of the patient.

Keywords: Adult female; Hyperinfection; Parasitological diagnosis; Strongyloides stercoralis; Strongyloidiasis.

Figure 1.. Adult female and several rabditoid larvae of S. stercoralis, which are present in a concentrate of respiratory secretions obtained by tracheal aspiration (microscopy in fresh material, 400×).

Figure 2.. S. stercoralis embryonated eggs, which are present in respiratory secretions obtained by tracheal aspirate (microscopy in fresh material, 400×).