title: Mites in clinical stool specimens: potential misidentification as helminth eggs.
abstract: We report the finding of unexpected microscopic oval structures in clinical stool samples processed by AFIP/Medicina Laboratorial, a laboratory performing routine clinical analysis in São Paulo, Brazil. Surprisingly, these objects were identified as mite eggs, sometimes accompanied by adult mites. Because misidentification of mite eggs as helminth ova may lead to erroneous treatment with far-reaching consequences, we sought to verify the frequency of adult mites and mite eggs among a number of processed stool specimens. Given their similarity to some helminth eggs, it is important that clinical laboratories recognize these structures, especially in geographic regions where intestinal parasitosis is prevalent.
authors.affiliation: AFIP/Medicina Laboratorial, Rua Marselhesa 500, Vila Clementino, São Paulo, SP 04020-060, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jessica Sanchez
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Werneck
authors.forename: Telma
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Carniato
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tufik
authors.forename: Soraya Sgambatti
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Andrade
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000379:methods; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D006376:Helminths / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008924:Mite Infestations / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008925:Mites; D010270:Parasite Egg Count