Frequency of Enterobius vermicularis Detection and Histopathological Findings among Appendectomy Patients in Al-Kut City

Abstract

Pinworms (Enterobius vermicularis) can be found in surgically excised appendices, but their presence does not prove that they cause appendicitis. This cross-sectional descriptive study included 100 patients who underwent appendectomy at Al-Kut Teaching Hospital and Al-Zahra Teaching Hospital from September 2025 to April 2026. Stool microscopy and appendix histopathology were performed for all patients, and histopathological confirmation was the main diagnostic criterion. E. vermicularis was detected in 20/100 (20%). Positivity was 9/40 (22.5%) among males and 11/60 (18.3%) among females (Yates-corrected chi-square p = 0.799). By age, positivity was 1/12 (8.3%) in those younger than 5 years, 10/38 (26.3%) in those aged 5–12 years, and 9/50 (18.0%) in those aged 13–24 years (Fisher–Freeman–Halton exact p = 0.434). Of the 20 parasite-positive patients, 14 (70%) had histologically normal appendices and 6 (30%) had inflamed appendices. These findings describe the frequency and histopathological pattern of E. vermicularis in appendectomy patients but do not establish the parasite as a cause of appendicitis.