Differentiating Taenia eggs found in human stools: does Ziehl-Neelsen staining help?
Ziehl-Neelsen staining can occasionally distinguish fully mature T. solium from T. saginata eggs, but this distinction is neither very sensitive nor completely specific. Differential staining suggests differences in embryophore components between species which become evident with egg maturation. In this small series, egg morphology (shape, maximal diameter) provided appropriate differentiation between T. solium and T. saginata eggs.
MRI spine has comparable specificity and slightly better sensitivity than bone scan to detect spinal metastasis from prostate cancer.