Case Report

Psorospermium haeckelii: A Cause of Pseudoparasitosis

Authors: ALAIN R. BOUCKENOOGHE, MD, MPH, BERNARD J. MARINO, MT (ASCP)

Abstract

A 42-year-old man had nausea, vomiting, periumbilical pain, tenesmus, and diarrhea shortly after eating seafood. Stool microscopy showed “beaver bodies,” or Psorospermium haeckelii, a nonpathogenic algal organism often confused with enteric pathogens and commonly found in the excrement of persons consuming crayfish.

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References