Diagnostic Tests
Intestinal trichuriasis is diagnosed by detecting
Trichuris eggs in the feces. The eggs are oval, yellowishbrown
and thick-shelled, with two polar plugs. T. vulpis
eggs (approximately 72-90 µm by 32-40 µm) are nearly
twice the size of most human whipworm eggs. Most T.
trichiura eggs are 50 to 56 µm by 21 to 26 µm, although a
very small percentage of the eggs can be as large as 78 µm
by 30 µm. Although these large eggs resemble T. vulpis,
they can be differentiated by their morphology. T. suis eggs
are very similar to T. trichiura.
Larva migrans cases are very rare, and there is no
standard diagnostic procedure. In two pediatric cases, the
diagnosis was established by serology and by the recovery
of T. vulpis eggs from the family dog and environmental
samples. In one adult case, the diagnosis was confirmed by
serology and by histology of a pulmonary mass.