Photo Of Month

LCB (Lactophenol cotton blue) preparation, Cleistothecium (yellow arrow) of Aspergillus nidulans (anamorph Emericella nidulans) showing numerous reddish-brown ascospores and thick-walled hülle cells (green arrow)

Colonies growth on Sheep Blood Agar showing Nocardia species. It is whitish chalky adherent colonies of Nocardia species. Colonies can be smooth and moist or waxy; with further incubation, development of aerial hyphae causes a velvety or chalky appearance

Direct microscopy of the specimen

(Pleural Fluid) is

suggestive of scolex and hooklets of

 Echinococcus granulosus

A wet film examination from stool sample showed round eggs consisting of embryo with characteristic six hooklets surrounded by thick radially striated brown shell On ZN stain:

LCB of Curvularia spp. showing septate hyphae with brown colour conidia and central cell of conidia  showing swelling which gives curved appearance

LCB showing Lichtheimia croymbifera fungus in the case of Cutaneous mucormycosis post RTA

Gram stain from corneal scraping showing cysts of Acanthamoeba

Modified ZN stain of stool sample showing acid fast, round to oval, structures suggestive of oocysts of Cryptosporidium species

Peripheral smear showing flagellated parasite with subterminal kinetoplast resembling trypanosomiasis

Hyaline, thin septate hyphae with globose conidia

Stain: LPCB (lactophenol Cotton Blue) stain

Fungi: Sporothrix globosa

Sample: Stool

Oocysts of Cystoisospora belli stained with the Modified acid-fast stain

T. Cruzei

Left side image shows Taenia Saginata worms which are approx 5-6 meters in length.

Right side image shows Taeina Saginata eggs in stool. The eggs are spherical and brown in colour .Size of eggs approx 30-35 micrometers in diameter and radially striated. The internal Onco sphere contains refractile hooklets.

Specimen- Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)
GMS (Gomori Methenemine silver) preparation-
Cyst wall is stained black, organism appear as folded & flattened spheres characteristic of Pneumocystis jirovecii (carinii)

Eggs of Fasciola hepatica in duodenal aspirate.  Large (140-180 µm), operculated, Ovoid in shape, bile- stained. Contains a large unsegmented ovum.  

Modified acid fast staining using 1% sulfuric acid as decolorizer (Kinyoun method) shows partially acid-fast branching and filamentous red colored acid-fast bacilli suggestive of Nocardia species.