Purpose:
To collect the egg of pinworm, Enterobius vernicularis, as the female deposits the egg at night on the perianal folds.
Principle:
Pinworm eggs will adhere to cellophane tape placed against the perianal folds. The tape is fixed to a microscope slide and examined microscopically.
Procedure:
- Place the strip of cellophane tape around the end of a tongue depressor so that the sticky side is out by looping the tape around the top edge of the depressor.
- Spread the buttocks and apply the tape to the perianal folds. Press tape firmly against the left and right perianal folds and anal opening.
- Remove the tape from the tongue depressor and place it sticky side down onto a microscope slide. Press firmly to remove all trapped air bubbles.
- Lift one side of tape and apply one small drop of toluene or xylene to clear the tape. Press tape down onto slide.
- Examine under low power (10x) with low light intensity. The entire area under the tape must be examined. Eggs are colorless and football shaped with one side flattened.
- Generally, specimens should be collected on five consecutive morning before a pinworm infection can be ruled out. The specimen is optimally collected before a bowel movement or bathing, since the eggs may otherwise not be detected.
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