PARASITES Size Shape Motility No.

of Karyosome Peripheral chromatin Cytoplasm Cytoplasmic inclusions

range nuclei
E. histolytica 12 to 60 Progressive and 1 Small and central Fine and evenly Finely granular Ingested rbc’s
trophozoite m directional/ distributed
finger-like
pseudopods
E. histolytica 10 to 20 Spherical 1 to 4 Small and central Fine and evenly Finely granular Chromatoid bars/ rounded
cyst m to round distributed ends, diffuse glycogen mass
E. hartmanni 3 to 12 Nonprogressive 1 Small and central Fine and evenly Finely granular
trophozoite m distributed
E. hartmanni 4 to 10 Spherical 1 to 4 Small and central Fine and evenly Finely granular Chromatoid bars/ rounded
cyst m distributed ends, diffuse glycogen mass
E. coli 15 to 50 More sluggish 1 Large, irregular Coarse and unevenly Coarse and Bacteria and other debris
trophozoite m and undirected/ shape, eccentric distributed often
blunt vacuolated
pseudopods
E. coli cyst 10 to 35 Round to 1 to 8 Large, irregular Coarse and unevenly Coarse Thin chromatoid bars with
m spherical shape, eccentric distributed pointed to splintered ends,
diffuse glycogen mass
E. polecki 8 to 25 (normal stools) 1 Small and central Fine and evenly Granular and Ingested rbc’s
trophozoite m - Sluggish, distributed vacuolated
nonprogressive
(diarrheic stool)
- progressive,
unidirectional

PARASITES Size Shape Motility No. of Karyosome Peripheral chromatin Cytoplasm Cytoplasmic inclusions
 range nuclei
E. polecki cyst 10 to 20 Spherical 1 Small and central Fine and evenly Granular Chromatoidal bars, angular or
m or oval distributed pointed ends, glycogen mass
“Inclusion mass”
Endolimax nana 5 to 12 Sluggish, 1 Large, irregular, Absent Granular and - chromatin granules
trophozoite m nonprogressive, “blotlike” vacuolated - nondescript small mass
blunt - diffuse glycogen mass in
pseudopods young cysts
Endolimax nana 4 to 12 Spherical, 1 to 4 Large, “blotlike” Absent Granular and Bacteria, yeast cells, other
cyst m ovoid, 4- most usually central vacuolated debris
ellipsoid common
I. butschlii 9 to 20 Sluggish, usually 1 Large, usually central Absent Coarsely Bacteria, yeast cells, other
trophozoite m progressive refractive granular and debris
achromatic granules vacuolated
may or may not be
present
I. butschlii cyst 9 to 10 Ovoidal, 1 Large, eccentric Absent Coarsely Well-defined glycogen mass;
m ellipsoidal, achromatic granules granular and granules may be present
triangular, on one side may be vacuolated
other present
shapes
E. gingivalis 10 to 20 Active/ varying 1 central Evenly distributed Finely granular Leukocytes, epithelial cells,
trophozoite m pseudopod bacteria
appearance