Briskly motile Balantidium-like ciliate morphologically resembling Chilodonella spp. in urine sediment

• Published in: Journal of cytology Vol. 36; no. 2; pp. 133 - 134
• Main Authors: Khurana, Ujjawal, Majumdar, Kaushik, Karuna, Tadepalli, Joshi, Rajnish, Kapoor, Neelkamal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.04.2019; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: Antidepressants; Balantidium; Burning; Calcium oxalate; Chemical properties; Ciliates; Crystals; Diagnosis; Epithelial cells; Erythrocytes; Gene amplification; Health aspects; Infection; Insomnia; Letter to Editor; Morphology; Motility; Oxalates; Oxalic acid; Parasites; Proteinuria; Recurrence (Disease); Sleep disorders; Tricyclic antidepressants; Urinary tract; Urinary tract infections; Urination; Urine
• ISSN: 0970-9371; 0974-5165
• DOI: 10.4103/JOC.JOC_21_18

Sir, A 69-year-old female came with vague complaints of weakness, insomnia, increased urinary frequency, burning micturition, and a history of recurrent urinary tract infections. The centrifuged deposits revealed one to two epithelial cells, one to two pus cells, two to four red blood cells per high-power field (400×) and occasional calcium oxalate crystals. [...]human infestation by Balantidium-like ciliates is rare and thorough evaluation of morphology and motility, supplemented by molecular methods, may elucidate the potential pathogenic role of rare ciliates other than Balantidium in humans.