6/9- Cestodes and Intestinal Protozoa Flashcards
What organisms are included in cestodes?
- Taenia solium
- Echinococcus granulosis/multilocaris
- Diphylloborthrium latum (not covered)
What organisms are considered intestinal protozoa?
- Cryptosporidium hominis/parvum
- Entamoeba histolytica
- Giardia lamblia
What is the major phyla of helminths?
What classes are within it?
Phylum Platyheminthes (flatworms)
- Class Cestoda (tapeworms)
- Class Trematoda (flukes)
Identify the different types of tapeworms:
- Beef:
- Pork:
- Fish:
- Dog:
Identify the different types of tapeworms:
- Beef: Taenia saginata
- Pork: Taenia solium
- Fish: Diphyllobothrium latum
- Dog: Echinococcus granulosus
What is this?
Adult tapeworm (can be 20 ft long)
Tapeworm anatomy?
Which part is alive?
Scolex is alive (binding head bit); the rest is just reproductive segments/egg sacs
What is taeniaisis (broadly)?
Infection with a tapeworm
Where is Taenia saginata found?
Symptoms?
(Beef tapeworm)
Worldwide
- Especially East Africa (Ethiopia)
Usually asymptomatic; intermittent diarrhea
Where is Taenia solium found? Symptoms?
(Pork tapeworm)
Worldwide
- Especially Mexico, Central America, South America, China, Indonesia, Tanzania
Usually asymptomatic; intermittent diarrhea
What is this?
Taenia saginata (looks a lot like the other tapeworms too)
Life cycle of Taenia saginata?
- Cysticerci are ingested with raw/undercooked beef
- Released from muscle in stomach
- Worms mature and live in small intestine (scolex with four suckers)
- Adults grow up to ~10m in length
- Proglottids pass in feces (reproductive sacs)
- Cow ingests embryonated eggs, hatch, oncospheres migrate to tissues and develop into cysticerci
What is the mode of transmission of T. solium?
Fecal oral transmission (test)
- Zoonotic
- Human to human
NOT a soil transmitted helminth
- Does not require life cycle in soil
- Eggs can survive in environment for months
Often from undercooked or raw pork
Characteristics of T. solium:
- length:
- proglottids:
- life span:
Characteristics of T. solium:
- length: 6-12 ft (up to 30)
- proglottids: 300-1000/worm (each with 10,000s of eggs)
- life span: 10-25 years
- Can’t distinguish from saginatum grossly (different scolex, but don’t need to know how)
Life cycle of T. solium?
- Cystercerci are ingested with raw or undercooked pork
- Cysticerci are released from muscle in stomach
- Adults mature and live in small intestine
- Adults grow up to 10 m in length (scolex with hooklets and 4 suckers)
- Proglottids pass in feces
- Pig ingests embryonated eggs, hatch, oncospheres migrate to tissues, develop to cysticerci
Ingesting the T. ____ egg can cause what?
The T. solium egg is the infective stage of neurocysticercosis
Pathogenesis/process of Cysticercosis (T. solium)?
- Embryonated EGGS are ingested
- Onchospheres hatch in small intestine
- Onchospheres enter bloodstream, penetrate tissue
- Causes cysticercus in: muscle, eye, brain (neurocysticercosis)
What is causing the problem in neurocysticercosis?
Eggs of T. solium causes cysticercus (space-occupying lesions) in the brain (encapsulated)
- As cysticercus dies, it elicits an inflammatory response, c/o lymphocytes, plasma cells, and eosinophils
- Inflammation sets off seizure focus
What is this?
Neurocysticercosis (T. solium)
- space occupying lesion
Underlying mechanisms (pathophysiology) of Neurocysticercosis?
1. Mass effect- due to space occupying lesion (if removed, brain can typically refill without too many sequelae)
2. Inflammatory response
3. Obstruction of the foramina and ventricular system of the brain (resulting in hydrocephalus)
Clinical presentation of Neurocysticercosis?
(US and endemic regions)
(In young adult with no history of childhood seizures, experience of 1st seizure is HIGHLY probably Neurocysticercosis!)
US:
- Solitary ring-enhancing lesion on CT/MRI cortex or gray-white junction
Endemic areas:
- Multiple lesions with increased intracranial pressure
- Encephalitis
- Arachnoiditis
- Hydrocephalus
What is this?
Severe neurocysticercosis
- Holes = cysts, with little central dot = scolex
- Tissue is not destroyed but pressed!
Picture on the right has scolex within the cyst, but surrounding white area is inflammation
What is this?
Intraventricular neurocysticercosis in 4th ventricle (left lateral Luschka)
Treatment for Neurocysticercosis (same for intestinal parasites)
Anti-parasitics
- Albendazole (highest efficacy)
- Praziquantel (can be used w/ or w/out albendazole; 2nd line therapy)
Steroid administration to reduce inflammation of dying parasite
Anti-epileptics in patients with documented seizures
- To prevent further seizures
- Need to treat for 1-2 years
Forms of hyatid disease?
(Dog tapeworm)
- Echinococcus granulosus- unilocular hydatid
- E. multilocularis- alveolar or mutlilocular hydatid
What is this?
Echinococcus granulosus
What patients have positive serology for T. solium:
taeniaisis (digestive) or Neurocystercercosis?
Both!
Must diagnose Neurocystercercosis with CT because positive serology may be a result of GI infection