Workup
Laboratory Studies
No blood tests are used to diagnose dipylidiasis.
Eosinophilia may be present. [4]
Examination of the stool specimen may show the characteristic egg packets and proglottids of D caninum.
Eggs arranged in packets are typical of dipylidiasis.
Egg packets of Dipylidium caninum. Image provided courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Individual eggs are rarely observed in feces.
Proglottids may be observed in singles or in chains and often resemble rice grains in stool.
Proglottids may become adherent to perianal hair and may be observed as a whitish yellow object when dry.
Examination of stool specimens on several different days may be necessary.
Media Gallery
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Adult tapeworm of Dipylidium caninum. Image provided courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Proglottid of Dipylidium caninum. Image provided courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Dipylidium caninum proglottid under a dissecting microscope cleared with lactophenol. Image provided courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Proglottid of Dipylidium caninum stained with carmine. Image provided courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Egg packets of Dipylidium caninum. Image provided courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Egg packets of Dipylidium caninum. Image provided courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Egg of Dipylidium caninum. Image provided courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Life cycle of Dipylidium caninum. Image provided courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Dipylidium caninum egg packet that contains 8 visible eggs, in a wet mount. Image provided courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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