title: 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.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Infectious Diseases Hospital "Francisco Javier Muñiz", Uspallata 2272, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Bava Amadeo Javier
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Bava
authors.forename: Domínguez
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cecilia
authors.forename: Troncoso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Alcides
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D008875:Middle Aged; D017171:Strongyloides stercoralis / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology*
keywords: Adult female; Hyperinfection; Parasitological diagnosis; Strongyloides stercoralis; Strongyloidiasis