Pinworms

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Pinworm eggs

Pinworm, close-up of the head

Pinworms

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Pinworms

Alternative Names:

Enterobiasis; Oxyuriasis

Symptoms:

Intense itching around the anus
Difficulty sleeping due to the itching that occurs during the night, when the adult worms migrate out through the anus to lay their eggs
Irritability due to the itching and interrupted sleep at night
Vaginal irritation or discomfort in young girls (if an adult worm enters the vagina rather than the anus)
Irritated or infected skin around the anus from constant scratching
Loss of appetite and weight (uncommon but can occur in severe infections)

Signs and tests:

Pinworms can be spotted in the anal area, especially at night when the worms lay their eggs there. Your doctor may have you do a tape test. A piece of cellophane tape is pressed against the skin around the anus, and removed. This should be done in the morning before bathing or using the toilet, because bathing and wiping may inadvertently remove any eggs. The doctor will stick the tape to a slide and look for eggs using a microscope.

Review Date: 8/28/2004
Reviewed By: A.D.A.M. editorial. Previously reviewed by Daniel Levy, M.D., Ph.D., Infectious Diseases, Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. (8/11/2003)

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