Pinworm Clinical Presentation

  • Author: Sun Huh, MD, PhD; Chief Editor: Burke A Cunha, MD   more...
 
Updated: Jan 7, 2010
 

History

  • Itching or prickling pain in the anal area
  • Intense anal itching (Although a hospital-based study of children aged 2-12 years found that perianal itching was not significantly more common in children who are infected than in children who are uninfected, persons who are Enterobius egg–positive typically visit a physician because of perianal itching.)
  • Restless sleep or difficulty sleeping
  • Rarely, abdominal discomfort or loss of appetite
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Physical

  • Adult female worms may be visible in the anal area with the naked eye.
  • The worm's appearance is easily confused with bits of cotton thread.
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Causes

  • Living with a person who is egg-positive
  • Eating before washing hands
  • Poor personal or group hygiene
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Proceed to Differential Diagnoses
 
 
Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Sun Huh, MD, PhD  Chairman, Professor, Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Korea

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Sooung Lee, PhD  Team Manager, Research and Development, Chuncheon Bioindustry Foundation, Chuncheon-do, Korea

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Mary D Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP  Professor and Chair, Department of Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Mary D Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians, Association of Professors of Medicine, Central Society for Clinical Research, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Society of General Internal Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine

Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Gordon L Woods, MD  Consulting Staff, Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center

Gordon L Woods, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Society of General Internal Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD  Clinical and Research Fellow, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital

Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American College of Physicians, American Society for Microbiology, and Infectious Diseases Society of America

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Burke A Cunha, MD  Professor of Medicine, State University of New York School of Medicine at Stony Brook; Chief, Infectious Disease Division, Winthrop-University Hospital

Burke A Cunha, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, and Infectious Diseases Society of America

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

References

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  2. Tsibouris P, Galeas T, Moussia M, et al. Two cases of eosinophilic gastroenteritis and malabsorption due to Enterobious vermicularis. Dig Dis Sci. Dec 2005;50(12):2389-92. [Medline].

  3. Cho SY, Kang SY. Significance Of Scotch-tape Anal Swab Technique In Diagnosis Of Enterobius Vermicularis Infection. Kisaengchunghak Chapchi. Dec 1975;13(2):102-114. [Medline].

  4. Burkhart CN, Burkhart CG. Assessment of frequency, transmission, and genitourinary complications of enterobiasis (pinworms). Int J Dermatol. Oct 2005;44(10):837-40. [Medline].

  5. CDC. Parasitic disease information. Division of parasitic diseases. Pinworm Infection. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/NCIDOD/dpd/parasites/pinworm/factsht_pinworm.htm.

  6. Chan OT, Lee EK, Hardman JM, et al. The cockroach as a host for Trichinella and Enterobius vermicularis: implications for public health. Hawaii Med J. Mar 2004;63(3):74-7. [Medline].

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  8. Chong VH. Education and imaging. Gastrointestinal: enterobiasis. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. Jan 2009;24(1):168. [Medline]. [Full Text].

  9. Gargano R, Di Legami R, Maresi E, et al. Chronic sialoadenitis caused by Enterobius vermicularis: case report. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. Aug 2003;23(4):319-21. [Medline].

  10. Hong ST, Cho SY, Seo BS, et al. Chemotherapeutic control of Enterobius vermicularis infection in orphanages. Kisaengchunghak Chapchi. Jun 1980;18(1):37-44. [Medline].

  11. Isik B, Yilmaz M, Karadag N, et al. Appendiceal Enterobius vermicularis infestation in adults. Int Surg. Jul-Aug 2007;92(4):221-5. [Medline].

  12. Kang S, Jeon HK, Eom KS, et al. Egg positive rate of Enterobius vermicularis among preschool children in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea. Korean J Parasitol. Sep 2006;44(3):247-9. [Medline].

  13. Park JH, Han ET, Kim WH, et al. A survey of Enterobius vermicularis infection among children on western and southern coastal islands of the Republic of Korea. Korean J Parasitol. Dec 2005;43(4):129-34. [Medline].

  14. Ryue HS, Jung JW, Pai KS. An Epidemiological Study on Refractory Enterobiasis. Korean J Pediatr. Feb/2004;47(2):177-182.

  15. Song HJ, Cho CH, Kim JS, et al. Prevalence and risk factors for enterobiasis among preschool children in a metropolitan city in Korea. Parasitol Res. Sep 2003;91(1):46-50. [Medline].

  16. The Korean Society for Parasitology. Atlas of Medical Parasitology. Available at http://www.atlas.or.kr/.

  17. Tornieporth NG, Disko R, Brandis A, et al. Ectopic enterobiasis: a case report and review. J Infect. Jan 1992;24(1):87-90. [Medline].

  18. Welch NM. Recent insights into the childhood "social diseases"--gonorrhea, scabies, pediculosis, pinworms. Clin Pediatr (Phila). Apr 1978;17(4):318-22. [Medline].

  19. Yang YS, Kim SW, Jung SH, et al. Chemotherapeutic trial to control enterobiasis in schoolchildren. Korean J Parasitol. Dec 1997;35(4):265-9. [Medline].

  20. Yoon HJ, Choi YJ, Lee SU, et al. Enterobius vermicularis egg positive rate of pre-school children in Chunchon, Korea (1999). Korean J Parasitol. Dec 2000;38(4):279-81. [Medline].

  21. Zahariou A, Karamouti M, Papaioannou P. Enterobius vermicularis in the male urinary tract: a case report. J Med Case Reports. Nov 14 2007;1:137. [Medline].

 
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Pinworm. Adult female worms of Enterobius vermicularis collected from a 2-year-old girl in a Korean orphanage after treatment with pyrantel pamoate 10 mg/kg, November 24, 1975.
Pinworm. Microscopic view of Enterobius vermiculariseggs attached to cellophane tape after a perianal swab from a child in kindergarten in Seoul, Korea, February 1999. Egg size was 50-60 μm X 20-30 μm. The eggs are elongated and ovoid, distinctly compressed laterally, and flattened on one side.
 
 
 
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