Echinococcus granulosus
Echinococcus granulosus, adult
This is the adult worm of the cestode, Echinococcus granulosus. The adult is only found in the intestine of the definitive canine host (e.g. dogs, foxes, wolves) and is therefore not seen in humans. Despite its small size, the canine host may be infected with hundreds of these worms and thus shed hundreds of thousands of eggs each day! If the eggs are ingested by a human, they can cause human echinococcosis.
Echinococcus granulosus, protoscoleces and free hooklets
These images show multiple protoscoleces of Echinococcus granulosus, as well as several free hooklets. Images are shown unstained or stained with Giemsa, hematoxylin & eosin, or toluidine blue.
Echinococcus granulosus, tissue
Classic findings of a Echinococcus granulosus cyst in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin include a thick outer laminated layer, inner thin germinal layer, and protoscoleces within the cyst. Protoscoleces can als be found within smaller daughter cysts in the larger 'mother' cyst.
You can view a whole slide image of a case of Echinococcus granulosus HERE.
