The number of trichinella larvae in a muscle biopsy can be graded based on the tissue density.
Method:
(1) A muscle biopsy is collected and weighed accurately.
(2) The tissue is digested with enzymes and the number of larvae counted.
Number of Larvae per gram of tissue
Degree of Tissue Invasion
< 1
very light
1 - 50
light
51 - 100
moderate
101 - 500
severe
501 - 1,000
very severe
> 1,000
lethal
after Table I, page 135
Limitations:
• The parasitic load may not correlate with clinical symptoms, especially in patients with marked allergic response to the larvae.
• The number of larvae may vary between different muscle groups so that there is sampling bias.
• The size of a biopsy and the number taken in a living patient is limited.
• Patients with high larval density may recover without complications.
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Specialty: Infectious Diseases
