Enterobiasis is one of the most common human parasitic infections. It is considered an intestinal parasite, but cases of extra-intestinal affections exist, notably infections of the female genital tract. Enterobius vermicularis (EV) eggs (or ova) have been found in the cervical smears of two patients in our institute during the last 16 years. No gynaecological or gastrointestinal symptoms were reported, and there was no known intestinal infection in these two cases. A review of the available literature revealed rare cases of vaginal enterobiasis, with a wide range of clinical presentations, many patients being asymptomatic. The diagnosis may sometimes be difficult, mainly because of the lack of clinical suspicion. However, cytological identification of EV in cervico-vaginal smears is important, especially when considering the risk of ascending infections of the genital tract associated with severe complications.
Keywords: Papanicolaou test; gynecologic cytology; liquid-based cytology; vaginal Enterobius vermicularis.
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