Pancreatic Fluke: Scaphiostomum pancreaticum

[Alberto Santos III]

I have been doing a parasite survey of the White-ankled mouse,
Peromyscus pectoralis, and have found a modest variety of helminths. 
Among the worms recovered is, I believe, Scaphiostomum pancreaticum.  It
is a long worm (1 mm X 20 mm or so) which appears to completely or
nearly completely occlude the pancreatic duct.  Becaus eof the position
of the worm and its size relative to the pancreatic duct (smaller than
the worm: ususally) I have not been able to successfully remove it or
even recover its anterior end.  I have very few of these worms recovered
from about a years worth of sampling. 

Does any one have experience with this worm?  Recommendations?
So far I have recovered the worm and fixed with formalin INSIDE the
pancreas and
then dehydrated and cleared.  I can see the egs in the uterus well, the
vitellaria, and not much else (I haven't stained it in the duct or
out).  I have yet to recover the anterior end which I find particularly
troublesome in that Scaphiostomum is  closely related to another genus
with which it differs by the presence or abscence of a muscular
pre-pharynx.   This determination can't be made without the anterior
end.

Please help.  I appreciate any advice you may have.

Thank you very much.
-Alberto Santos III
 Student Member ASP

-- 
Alberto Santos III
Graduate Student in Biology
Southwest Texas State University
email: AS31909 at swt.edu
http://www.swt.edu/~as31909/parasite.htm