Detached Ciliary Tufts Mistaken for Peritoneal Parasites: A Warning

Detached ciliary tufts of columnar epithelial cells from the female genital tract may be mistakenly identified as protozoa when examined in wet mounts of fluid specimens in the laboratory because of their appearance and motility, although they are generally identified correctly in fixed specimens prepared for cytologic examination. A case of such mistaken identity in specimens from a gynecologic patient was documented, and the literature on ciliary tufts was reviewed. Infectious disease and gynecology consultants should be alert to the potential confusion arising from the presence of ciliary tufts in body fluids.