Blastocystis hominis Infection Presenting as Recurrent Diarrhea

Excerpt

Originally named and classified as fungus by Brumpt (1), Blastocystis hominis has recently been reclassified as a parasite (2). In addition, B. hominis has recently been reported as pathogenic (3), although it had been thought to be a commensal in humans. We report a case of recurrent diarrhea, thought to be caused by B. hominis.

A 28-year-old white man had episodes of vomiting and diarrhea, occurring 1 day per week for 3 successive weeks. The symptoms lasted approximately 18 hours on each of these days, after which he felt well. He had weakness and generalized cramping during these episodes, but