Cestode Infections

Question 1

Taenia saginata/solium

1) How do you distinguish between the two
2) describe the life cycle
3) How do you treat

Answer 1

1) Beef - 4 large suckers on scolex
Pig - rostellum, two rows of large and small hooks (13 of each)
2)eggs passed into environment
cattle ingest vegetation
oncospheres in stomach/intestine and penetrate muscle
develop into cysticerci
Humans ingest infected meat, scolex attaches to epithelium
3) Praziquantel, Niclosamide

Question 2

What are the segments caused?

Answer 2

proglottids filled with eggs

Question 3

What is cysticercosis?
How are eggs activated
What is the size of cysticerci

Answer 3

When humans eat the eggs or proglottids. Eggs are activated by GI secretions and become oncospheres
2mm-2cm
form cysts

Question 4

How does praziquantel work?

Answer 4

flatworm loses ability to resist digestion

Question 5

How does Niclosamide work?

Answer 5

inhibits glucose uptake and oxidative phosphorylation

Question 6

What are the four species of echinococcus
How are they diagnosed?
How is it treated?

Answer 6

granulosus, multilocularis, vogeli, oligarthrus
ultrasound, serological
PAIR (puncture, aspiration, injection, re-aspiration)
Albendazole, mebendazole, praziquantel

Question 7

What is the life echinococcus lifecycle?

Answer 7

1) Adult in small intestine
2) embryonate egg in faeces
3) oncospheres hatch and penetrate intestinal wall

Question 8

What are the symptoms of cystic echinococcis

Answer 8

E.granulosus

slow growing, rupture of cysts can cause allergic reactions and death by anaphylactic shock

Question 9

What are the symptoms of Alveolar echinococcus

Answer 9

E.multilocularis
larvae don’t fully mature to cysts, form vesicles which invade and destroy neighbouring cells.
Signs of hepatic failure