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Parasitology

Dipylidium Caninum Morphology and Dipylidiasis Diagnosis

Laboratory diagnosis of dipylidiasis: morphology of the cucumber tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum), microscopy of scolex, proglottids, and egg capsules in stool.

Vladimir Turitsyn Vladimir Turitsyn 1 min
Microscopic slide of a hermaphroditic proglottid of Dipylidium caninum, lactocarmine stain, ×40
Microscopic slide of a hermaphroditic proglottid of Dipylidium caninum, lactocarmine stain, ×40
Microscopic slide of a mature proglottid of Dipylidium caninum with egg capsules, lactocarmine, ×40
Microscopic slide of a mature proglottid of Dipylidium caninum with egg capsules, lactocarmine, ×40
Microscopic slide of a scolex of Dipylidium caninum, alum carmine stain, ×100
Microscopic slide of a scolex of Dipylidium caninum, alum carmine stain, ×100
Native preparation: egg capsule with Dipylidium caninum eggs under microscopy, ×400
Native preparation: egg capsule with Dipylidium caninum eggs under microscopy, ×400

⚠ Following up on the cucumber tapeworm. ✅ The dog, or cucumber tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum). It usually lives in cats and dogs, but sometimes settles in the human intestine, more often in children. The intermediate host is fleas. Infection occurs when an infected flea is swallowed. In the photo: ✅ Scolex (alum carmine stain, ×100), hermaphroditic proglottid (lactocarmine stain, 1 - genital cloaca, 2 - testes, 3 - ejaculatory duct, 4 - ovary, 5 - vitellarium, 6 - vagina, 7 - excretory system canal, ×40),

✅ Mature proglottid (lactocarmine stain, 1 - egg capsules, 2 - genital cloaca, 3 - testes, ×40) and egg capsule (×400).

✅ Diagnosis involves finding mobile mature proglottids in feces. In children, they are sometimes found in diapers.

👉 The material from the archives was kindly provided by Cand. Biol. Sci., Associate Professor, Parasitologist Vladimir Turitsyn.

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