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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Pinworm infection is the most common type of intestinal worm infection in the United States. Pinworms are thin and white, measuring about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch (5 to 13 millimeters) in length.
While the infected person sleeps, female pinworms lay thousands of eggs in the folds of skin surrounding the anus. While most people infected with pinworms have no symptoms, some people experience anal itching and restless sleep.
Pinworm infection occurs most frequently in school-age children, and the microscopic eggs are easily spread from child to child — especially if children scratch their bottoms or neglect to wash their hands after using the bathroom or before eating.
Treatment involves oral drugs that kill the pinworms. For best results, the entire family should be treated at the same time.
- Parasites and Health: Enterobiasis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/DPDx/html/Enterobiasis.htm. Accessed Dec. 4, 2009.
- Dent AE, et al. Enterobiasis. In: Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/174305878-6/925552497/1608/740.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50293-0_6143. Accessed Dec. 4, 2009.
- Craig SA, et al. Enterobiasis. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00092-X--s0845&uniq=174305878&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&sid=925552497#lpState=opened&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00092-X--s0845%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-0-323-05472-0. Accessed Dec. 4, 2009.
- Pinworm infection. American Academy of Family Physicians. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/common/stomach/139.html. Accessed Dec. 4, 2009.
- Fact sheet: Pinworm infection. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/pinworm/factsht_pinworm.htm. Accessed Dec. 7, 2009.
- Leder K, et al. Enterobiasis and trichuriasis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 7, 2009.
- Ferri FF. Pinworms. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2010. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/174689871-3/926963641/2088/500.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05609-0..00025-3--sc0155_10293. Accessed Dec. 8, 2009.
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