A 22-year-old male presented to the Eye Hospital at Wenzhou Medical University in February 2016 with a 1-month history of foreign body sensation and an accompanying slight itch of his right eye. His medical and travel histories were generally unremarkable. The patient worked as a delivery man and reported contact with dogs but no other animals on a regular basis.
Following a close inspection of his right eye, two thin white wormlike structures were clearly noted under slit lamp microscopy. One of the structures was moving at the lateral aspect of his eye (Fig. 1A). Another structure, seen by fluorescence angiography, remained in the conjunctival sac (Fig. 1B). Two structures were carefully removed with cotton buds from his right eye (Fig. 1C). His visual acuity and intraocular pressure were normal.
FIG 1.
(A) Structure noted by slit lamp microscopy (total magnification, ×10). (B) Structure noted by fluorescence angiography in the conjunctival sac (total magnification, ×10). (C) Structure removed with a cotton bud from the conjunctival sac of the patient's right eye (total magnification, ×16). (D) Smooth and striated cuticle on the surface of the structures observed under light microscopy (total magnification, ×40). The arrow points to the curved caudal end. (E) Apparent buccal capsule, esophagus, and intestine (total magnification, ×100). (F) Five pairs of preanal papillae (total magnification, ×400).
The collected specimens were observed under light microscopy. Each structure was thin, threadlike, and creamy white and presented with striated cuticles on the entire body surface (Fig. 1D). The blunt anterior displayed an apparent buccal capsule and did not have sharp hooks or a hexagonal oral opening. Internal features were clearly noted within the structure (Fig. 1E). Finally, a ventrally curved caudal end and 5 pairs of preanal papillae were clearly seen in the structure (Fig. 1D and F).
For answer and discussion, see https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.00378-17 in this issue.