Enterobius

Background

• Colloquially known as pinworm (United States), Treadworm (UK and Australia) or Seatworm
• World wide distribution
• Risk factors (prevalence can reach up to 50% in these populations):
  • Age under 18
  • Institutionalized
  • Cohabitation with infected individual
• Humans only known reservoir
• Transmitted by fecal-oral route
• Can survive outside of body for up to 3 weeks

Clinical Features

• Pruritus Ani (intense itching of the perianal region)
• Rarer symptoms include abdominal pain, appendicitis and infection of the female genital tract

Diagnosis

• Tape test
  • Most common
  • Touch transparent tape to the perianal region and examine for eggs under the microscope
• Can also test by examining scrapings under pt's fingernails or examining perianal region 2-3 hours after patient falls asleep
• Stool analysis does not work because of low egg burden in stool

DDx

• Idiopathic pruritus ani
• Helminth infections

Treatment

• Mebendazole
• Albendazole

See Also

• Parasites

Source

• wikipedia:Enterobiasis
• wikipedia:Pinworm
• http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/pinworm/
• Rosen's Emergency Medicine, Chapter 133, Parasitic infections