eMedicine Specialties > Pediatrics: General Medicine > Parasitology
Whipworm: Differential Diagnoses & Workup
Updated: Jan 27, 2009
- Overview
- Differential Diagnoses & Workup
- Treatment & Medication
- Follow-up
Differential Diagnoses
Other Problems to Be Considered
GI bleeding
Intestinal duplications
Milk protein allergy
Eosinophilic colitis
Neglect
Malignancy
Atopy
Copper deficiency
Pediatrics, Rotavirus
Clostridium Difficile Colitis
Workup
Laboratory Studies
- Diagnosis is usually established by means of microscopic examination of stool.
- Whipworm eggs have a characteristic barrel (American football) shape with translucent polar plugs.
- The stool commonly contains RBCs and WBCs, including eosinophils/Charcot-Leyden crystals.
- Perform a CBC count. Eosinophilia is uncommon; however, when present, it ranges from 5-20%.
Procedures
- Anoscopy may be useful. In heavy infections, worms can be directly visualized.
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Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Whipworm |
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References
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Further Reading
Keywords
whipworm, anemia, ascaris, Nematoda, parasite, parasite infection, parasitic disease, rectal prolapse, trichuriasis, Trichuris dysentery syndrome, Trichuris trichiura, T trichiura
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Whipworm