Year: 2026 | Month: April | Volume: 16 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 86-89
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20260411
Enterobius Vermicularis Diagnosed in a Papanicolaou Test During Cervical Cancer Screening
Geetika1, Sumita Malik2, Priyanka Yadav3, Anju Rose4
1,4Senior Resident, Department of Pathology, World College of Medical Sciences and Research and Hospital, Jhajjar, Haryana, India.
2,3Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, World College of Medical Sciences and Research and Hospital, Jhajjar, Haryana, India.
Corresponding Author: Dr. Geetika
ABSTRACT
Enterobius vermicularis, commonly known as the human pinworm, represents one of the most prevalent intestinal helminthic infections worldwide. However, involvement of the female genital tract is uncommon and usually results from aberrant migration of gravid worms from the perianal region. Identification of E. vermicularis eggs in cervicovaginal smears is rare and is most often detected incidentally during routine cervical cancer screening.
We report a case in which characteristic pinworm eggs were identified on a Papanicolaou-stained cervicovaginal smear. Cytological examination demonstrated elongated, planoconvex ova measuring approximately 55–60 µm in length and 25–30 µm in width, surrounded by a thick birefringent shell enclosing embryonic material, along with an inflammatory background suggestive of true genital tract infestation rather than contamination.
Although intestinal enterobiasis commonly presents with mild symptoms such as perianal pruritus or may remain asymptomatic, ectopic migration into the female genital tract may lead to vaginitis, salpingitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and, rarely, more severe complications. As many cases remain clinically silent, cytological evaluation plays an important role in incidental detection.
This case underscores the diagnostic value of routine cervicovaginal cytology in identifying unexpected parasitic infestations and highlights the importance of accurate recognition and reporting to facilitate appropriate clinical management and prevent potential ascending infection and related complications.
Key words: Enterobius vermicularis; Pinworm; Cervicovaginal smear; Papanicolaou smear; Genital tract