Introduction to Diagnostic Medical Parasitology
Plasmodium ovale
Ring form
![](/.imaging/mte/default-theme/parasiteImage/dam/parasites/protozoa/malaria/plasmodium-ovale/P.ovale.jung.troph.100x__006_001_004_006_002_002_002__006__0.jpg/jcr:content/P.ovale.jung.troph.100x__006_001_004_006_002_002_002__006__0.jpg)
![](/.imaging/mte/default-theme/parasiteImage/dam/parasites/protozoa/malaria/plasmodium-ovale/P.ovale.junger.troph.100x__006_001_004_006_002_002_002__006_.jpg/jcr:content/P.ovale.junger.troph.100x__006_001_004_006_002_002_002__006_.jpg)
![](/.imaging/mte/default-theme/parasiteImage/dam/parasites/protozoa/malaria/plasmodium-ovale/P.ovale.junger.troph.100x__006_001_004_006_002_002_002__006__002.jpg/jcr:content/P.ovale.junger.troph.100x__006_001_004_006_002_002_002__006__002.jpg)
Ring form
- Enlarged RBCs
- Sometimes with fimbriated edges (oval)
- Schüffner's dots appear in the beginning and more pronounced than in P. vivax
Young trophozoite
![](/.imaging/mte/default-theme/parasiteImage/dam/parasites/protozoa/malaria/plasmodium-ovale/P.ovale.ovaloideform.100x__006_001_004_006_002_002_002__00__.jpg/jcr:content/P.ovale.ovaloideform.100x__006_001_004_006_002_002_002__00__.jpg)
![](/.imaging/mte/default-theme/parasiteImage/dam/parasites/protozoa/malaria/plasmodium-ovale/P.ovale.ovaloid.100x__006_001_004_006_002_002_002__00___002_.jpg/jcr:content/P.ovale.ovaloid.100x__006_001_004_006_002_002_002__00___002_.jpg)
Young trophozoite
- No more ringform
- Enlarged RBCs
- Sometimes with fimbriated edges (oval)
- Schüffner's dots appear in the beginning and more pronounced than in P. vivax
Growing trophozoite; Schüffner's dots
![](/.imaging/mte/default-theme/parasiteImage/dam/parasites/protozoa/malaria/plasmodium-ovale/P.ovale.aelterer.troph.100x__006_001_004_006_002_002_002__00.jpg/jcr:content/P.ovale.aelterer.troph.100x__006_001_004_006_002_002_002__00.jpg)
![](/.imaging/mte/default-theme/parasiteImage/dam/parasites/protozoa/malaria/plasmodium-ovale/P.ovale.aeltererTrop.100x__006_001_004_006_002_002_002__006.jpg/jcr:content/P.ovale.aeltererTrop.100x__006_001_004_006_002_002_002__006.jpg)
Growing trophozoite; Schüffner's dots
- Less ameboid trophozoite
- Enlarged RBCs
- Sometimes with fimbriated edges (oval)
- Schüffner's dots appear in the beginning and more pronounced than in P. vivax
Young schizont
![](/.imaging/mte/default-theme/parasiteImage/dam/parasites/protozoa/malaria/plasmodium-ovale/P.ovale.unreifer.schi.100x__006_001_004_006_002_002_002__00_.jpg/jcr:content/P.ovale.unreifer.schi.100x__006_001_004_006_002_002_002__00_.jpg)
![](/.imaging/mte/default-theme/parasiteImage/dam/parasites/protozoa/malaria/plasmodium-ovale/P.ovale.unreifer.schiz.100x__006_001_004_006_002_002_002__00.jpg/jcr:content/P.ovale.unreifer.schiz.100x__006_001_004_006_002_002_002__00.jpg)
Young schizont
- Immature schizont with three to four nuclei (chromatin)
- Pigment is not visible.
Mature schizont
![](/.imaging/mte/default-theme/parasiteImage/dam/exercises/Exercise-for-plasmodia/po_100_g.tif.jpg/jcr:content/po_100_g.tif.jpg)
Mature schizont
- Contains 8 merozoites
- Separately visible
- Pigment in 1 or 2 clumps
- Peripheral or central
Macrogametocyte / Microgametocyte
![](/.imaging/mte/default-theme/parasiteImage/dam/exercises/Exercise-for-plasmodia/po_100_h550a.tif.jpg/jcr:content/po_100_h550a.tif.jpg)
Macrogametocyte (left)
- Enlarged RBCs
- Chromatin small
- Eccentric and dark red
- Cytoplasm homogeneous
- blue
- without vacuoles
- pigment scattered
Macrogametocyte smaller than the RBC
Microgametocyte (right)
- Chromatin mass larger than in microgametocyte
- Eccentric or central
- diffuse
- light red
- Cytoplasm from light blue to pink
- Pigment finer; scattered
- Microgametocyte is smaller than the RBC.