INTRODUCTION Lophomonas blattarum （L. blattarum） is a multiflagellated protozoan, which parasitizes in the intestinal tracts of termites and cockroaches, belonging to the Lophomonas suborder, Hypermastigida order. M...INTRODUCTION Lophomonas blattarum （L. blattarum） is a multiflagellated protozoan, which parasitizes in the intestinal tracts of termites and cockroaches, belonging to the Lophomonas suborder, Hypermastigida order. More than 100 cases of bronchopulmonary L. blattarum infection have been reported since 1993. However, we identified the movable cells from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） of six patients with pulmonary diseases under an electron microscope, and eventually lbund that these cells were actually bronchial ciliated epithelial cells, which were basically identical with reported L. blattarum in morphology under light microscope in the literature, Through careful literature review, we found that all of the reported L. blattarum infections were just diagnosed by morphology under light microscope rather than electron microscope, isolation and culture, or molecular procedures; images exhibited in these literatures were all compatible with the microscopic characteristics of bronchial ciliated epithelial cells.展开更多
文摘INTRODUCTION Lophomonas blattarum （L. blattarum） is a multiflagellated protozoan, which parasitizes in the intestinal tracts of termites and cockroaches, belonging to the Lophomonas suborder, Hypermastigida order. More than 100 cases of bronchopulmonary L. blattarum infection have been reported since 1993. However, we identified the movable cells from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） of six patients with pulmonary diseases under an electron microscope, and eventually lbund that these cells were actually bronchial ciliated epithelial cells, which were basically identical with reported L. blattarum in morphology under light microscope in the literature, Through careful literature review, we found that all of the reported L. blattarum infections were just diagnosed by morphology under light microscope rather than electron microscope, isolation and culture, or molecular procedures; images exhibited in these literatures were all compatible with the microscopic characteristics of bronchial ciliated epithelial cells.
