Microbiology & infectious diseases
Parasites-gastrointestinal (not liver)
Whipworm
Author: Nat Pernick, M.D.
Last author update: 1 September 2018
Last staff update: 24 December 2020
Copyright: 2018-2025, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Whipworm[TI]
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Terminology | Clinical features | Case reports | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) images | Virtual slides | Additional referencesCite this page: Pernick N. Whipworm. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/parasitologywhipworm.html. Accessed January 15th, 2025.
Definition / general
- Whipworm gets its name from its shape - has a skinny end (anterior, inserts into colonic mucosa) and a thicker end (contains eggs in female)
Terminology
- Trichuris trichiura
Clinical features
- Associated with rectal prolapse
Case reports
- ~4 cm long worm found in the cecum - an incidental finding during colonoscopy (Pritt: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites Blog - Case of the Week 515 [Accessed 2 November 2018])
- Section of large bowel obtained at autopsy has several small worm-like objects attached to the bowel mucosa (Pritt: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites Blog - Case of the Week 504 [Accessed 28 September 2018])
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Uterus in posterior end has immature ova
- Has stichosome composed of multiple stichocytes, bacillary bands (best seen in the anterior end of the worm within the tissue), polymyarian / coelomyarian musculature, strongly nucleated hypodermis
- Thinner head part is embedded in tissue and larger tail is not embedded
Microscopic (histologic) images
Contributed by Bobbi Pritt, M.D.
Colon at autopsy
shows small
worm-like objects
attached to mucosa
Eggs with polar plugs
Contributed by Bobbi Pritt, M.D. and Heather Rose Arguello
Posterior and anterior end of whipworm
Multiple stichocytes
Immature ova in uterus in posterior end
Virtual slides
Images hosted on other servers:
