Balantidium coli in urine microscopy: A mere coincidence or more.
Keywords:
Balantidium coli, urine, UTI, Elderly male
Abstract
Balantidium coli (B. coli) is the only trophic ciliate of low virulence causing dysentery in human. The organism is cosmopolitan and can be found wherever pigs are found. Disease appears to be a problem mostly of developing countries, where water sources may be contaminated with porcine or human feces. B. coli can become an opportunistic parasite in immunosupressed hosts living in urban environments, where pigs are not a factor in infection. We herein describe a case where trophozoites of B. coli were detected in urinary sediment examination of an elderly male presenting with urinary tract infection. The parasites were identified by their characteristic morphology and rapid spiraling motility. This is only the fourth case described in Indian literature to detect B. coli in urine sediment.References
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2. Dodd LG. Balantidium coli infestation as a cause of acute appendicitis. J Infect Dis 163:1392.
3. Sharma S, Harding G. Necrotizing lung infection caused by theprotozoan Balantidium coli. Can J Infect Dis 14:163–166.
4. Umesh S. Balantidium coli on urine microscopy. Natl Med J India 20:270.
5. Anargyrou K, Petrikkos GL, Suller MTE, Skiada A, Siakantaris MR, Osuntoyinbo RT, Pangalis G, Vaiopoulos G. Pulmonary Balantidium coli infection in a leukemic patient. Am J Hematol 73:180–183.
6. Cermen˜o JR, Herna´ndez de Cuesta I, Uzca´tegui O, Pa´ez J, Rivera M, Baliachi N. Balantidium coli in a HIV-infected patient with chronic diarrhea. AIDS 17:941–942
7. Bandyopadhyay A, Majumder K, Goswami BK. Balantidium coli in urine sediment: report of a rare case presenting with hematuria. J Parasit Dis. 2013; 37 (2): 283-5.
8. Maino A, Garigali G, Grande R, Messa P, Fogazzi GB. Urinary balantidiasis: diagnosis at a glance by urine sediment examination. J Nephrol. 2010;23:732-7.
9. Maleky F. Case report of Balantidium coli in human from south of Tehran, Iran. Indian J Med Sci. 1998;52:201-2.
10. Singh NK, Singh H, Jyoti, Haque M, Rath SS. Prevalence of parasitic infections in cattle of Ludhiana district, Punjab. J Parasit Dis. 2012;36(2):256-9.
Published
2016-10-03
Issue
Section
Case Report
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