Artifacts & Confusers

Question 1

○ They are found primarily in stool and blood samples.
○ Structures that closely resemble parasites but in
reality, are not.
○ May be the result of disease processes, medications,
and/or dietary habits.

Answer 1

Artifacts and Confusers

Question 2

Average size of Polymorphonuclear WBC is

Answer 2

15 um

Question 3

WBCs are usually present in patients suffering
from :

Answer 3

-Ulcerative Colitis
-Bacterial dysentery or Intestinal Amebiasis

Question 4

It has a two-to four-lobed nucleus, similar in
appearance to the E. histolytica nucleus.
-Often mistaken for amebic cysts,

Answer 4

WBC

Question 5

TRUE OR FALSE:
Protozoan nuclear inclusions, such as karyosomes
and peripheral chromatin, are ABSENT in WBCs

Answer 5

True

Question 6

Also known as macrophages or monocytes, may
range in size from 28 to 62 μm
-closely resemble the E. histolytica trophozoite

Answer 6

Mononuclear WBC

Question 7

○ Thick-walled pollen grains resemble the eggs of
Taenia spp. but are smaller.

Answer 7

Pollen grains

Question 8

○ May easily be confused with helminth eggs.
○ These cells are typically large and roundish oval to
irregularly round in shape.
○ Thick cell walls are usually present.

Answer 8

Vegetable Cells or Plant Cells

Question 9

Average size of Vegetable Cells is up to

Answer 9

150 um

Question 10

○ Often resemble helminth larvae in their shape and
size.
○ Unlike helminth larvae, however, vegetable spirals do
not have a head or tail.

Answer 10

Vegetable spirals

Question 11

○ Most clinically significant.
-it indicates immune response of unknown origin
○ Due to eosinophil breakdown products

Answer 11

Charcot-Leyden Crystals

Question 12

○ May be confused with protozoan cysts, especially
those Entamoeba hartmanni, Endolimax nana, and
Entamoeba hominis.
○ It also resembles the oocyst of Cryptosporidium.

Answer 12

Yeast

Question 13

How to differentiate yeast from other protozoan cysts
is by having this unique characteristic:

Answer 13

Budding formation

Question 14

Usually yeast is common when the patient is

Answer 14

Diabetic

Question 15

○ May resemble helminth larvae in size and shape
○ May appear to have a nondescript internal structure
○ There is no head or tail region

Answer 15

Plant Hair

Question 16

○ Resemble helminth eggs particularly an unfertilized
Ascaris lumbricoides
○ Size range: 12 – 150 um in diameter
○ Often rough in appearance and may have hairs
(pseudocilia) extending from its periphery.

Answer 16

Plant Material

Question 17

○ Show a striking resemblance to amebic trophozoites
in size and shape.

Answer 17

Epithelial cells

Question 18

Which parasite may be confused with epithelial cells
because of their similar size and shape?

Answer 18

Amebic trophozoites

Question 19

○ May be similar to the size and shape of protozoan
cysts.
○ The lack of interior structures easily distinguishes
these artifacts from parasitic forms

Answer 19

Fungal Elements

Question 20

○ Also referred to as starch granules
○ May appear at first glance to be protozoan cysts,
particularly those of E. hartmanni and E. nana.
○No karyosome or peripheral chromatin is present.
-dark blue-black appearance when stained with iodine

Answer 20

Starch cells

Question 21

○ Often appear on Giemsa-stained blood film smears
and may be mistaken for malarial parasites,
especially the young trophozoite form
○ This artifact is common in blood sample.

Answer 21

Clumped or Fused Platelets

Question 22

○ Giemsa-stain precipitate may be visible on blood
smears and may be mistaken for malarial parasites.
○ Stain precipitate is usually bluer in color than malarial
parasites and varies in size and shape
■ Under stain and over stain can affect results

Answer 22

Stain Precipitate

Question 23

○ Such as Howell-Jolly bodies or Cabot’s rings may be
present on Giemsa-stained blood smears.
○ These abnormalities may be easily distinguished from
malarial parasites by their different staining
characteristics.

Answer 23

Red Cell abnormalities

Question 24

• Seeing few meat fibers in DFS does
  not necessarily means abnormalities.
• seen in Creatorrhea

Answer 24

Meat Fibers

Question 25

Normally seen in patients with inflammation of
pancreas we called it as pancreatitis or the event of
cystic fibrosis which is a disorder in pancreas.

Answer 25

Pancreatitis

Question 26

○ Common crystal found in urine
○ Often seen in feces
○ Contaminant from the urine

Answer 26

Calcium Oxalate Crystals

Question 27

○ May be mistaken from amoeba.
○ Oil bubbles came from fingertips.

Answer 27

Air Bubble or Oil Bubble

Question 28

○ Resemble egg of hookworm.
○ Size: important aspect of identification
○ Hookworm: there is a thin hyaline shell

Answer 28

Mite Egg

Question 29

SINO CUTE?!??!!?!?!

Answer 29

SYEMPRE SI SHEVHERU