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Small bowel (small intestine)

Infectious disorders

Microsporidia

Reviewer: Hanni Gulwani, M.D. (see Reviewers page)
Revised: 18 December 2012, last major update August 2012
Copyright: (c) 2003-2012, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

General
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● Caused by Enterocytozoon bieneusi, an obligate intracellular protozoan that affects only enterocytes and Encephalitozoon intestinalis, which infects macrophages, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, enterocytes
● Both cause chronic diarrhea in patients with immunosuppression, HIV

Diagnosis
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● Stool examination, PCR

Case reports
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● 33 year old woman with myeloma, post-autologous stem cell transplant and chemotherapy for relapse (Emerg Infect Dis 2012;18:1155)
● 43 year old man with pancreas/kidney transplant recipient and mullti-organ system dissemination (Arch Pathol Lab Med 2004;128:e41)

Treatment
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● Albendozole for E. intestinalis, nothing for E. bieneusi

Micro description
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● Minimal/no changes in mucosa but can find development spores as 1.5 mm dots in enterocytes
● May be surrounded by halos
● Also nucleated sporont present as 3-5 micron, rounded, basophilic structure often surrounded by a halo

Micro images
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Various images

Positive stains
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● Giemsa

Electron microscopy description
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● Often helpful for diagnosis

End of Small bowel (small intestine) > Infectious disorders > Microsporidia

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