Cestodes Flashcards
What causes hydatid disease?
Larval stage of Echinococcus Granulises
What is the species?
Echinococcus Granulises - note thick neck (differentiates it from T.Solium), double row hooks
What species is this?
Dibothriocephalus latus
What steroid sparing agents can be used for long course steroids in subarachnoid neurocysticercosis?
MTX or TNF inhibitors
What is this and what does it cause?
Calcified lesions of NCC. Taenia Solium. Can still cause seizures.
What causes symptoms in neurocysticercosis?
Parenchymal inflammation
Calcified cysticeri - causes inflammation and scarring
Ventricular cysticerci - causes hydrocephalus
Subarachnoid cysticerci - arachnoiditis
What is this?
Larval stage of T.Solium
Name the species and the structures
Life cycle of T.Solium?
Pigs ingest eggs
Oncospheres hatch and penetrate intestine -> muscle
Cystercirci develop
What species is this?
Dibothricephalus latus adult
What is the Rx for Taeniasis (either species)?
Praziquantel
Name the species
H.Diminunata - thick head, no hooks
What is this?
Echinococcus Granulosus sensu lato
Hooks - double crown of hooks- and 4 suckers
Only 3-4 proglottids
What species is this?
Dibothricephalus latus adult
What species is this?
Taenia species (cannot tell them apart)
What are the names of the stages of dibothrocephalus latus species?
coracidium (larval stage 1) -> procercoid (larval stage 2) -> plerocercoid (advanced larval stage)
What are the treatment options for hydatid disease in liver?
CE1 - simple cyst. <5cm albendazole, 5-10cm PAIR and ABZ, >10cm surgery
CE2 - MOCAT or Surgery +/- albendazole
CE3a - <5cm albendazole, 5-10cm PAIR, >10cm surgery
CE3b - MOCAT or Surgery +/- albendazole
CE4 and CE5 - dead cysts, watch and wait
Rx of subarachnoid neurocysticercosis?
LONG course of anti parasitic drugs (ABZ or both, data emerging on combo therapy)
Steroids key, or alternative
If compression of ventricle - shunt/surgery
Can cause strokes
How do humans become infected with taenia solium/taenia saginata?
Eating uncooked pigs/beef, ingest oncospheres from tissue (larval form)
What are the hosts in hymenolepis nana?
Intermediate: insects
Humans/rodents ingest arthropods containing cystercircoid - embryonated eggs (infective stage)
Definitive: Humans, rodents
How does echinococcosis present?
asymptomatic for years before the cysts grow large enough to cause symptoms in the affected organs.
- Lung - pressure effect
- Liver - pressure effect
- Rupture of cyst: fever, urticaria, eosinophilia, and potentially anaphylactic shock
RARELY
spleen, kidneys, heart, bone, and central nervous system, including the brain and eyes
What species is this?
Taenia Saginata (>12 uterine branches)
What are the intermediate and definitive hosts of dibothricephalus latus?
Intermediate: 1. Crustaceans 2.Fish
Definitive: Mammals (including humans)
NCC you think that all the cysts intraparenchymally are calcified, what to do?
Do MRI to ensure all cysts are calcified to guide further management
What species is this?
Taenia species (striated outer layer and embryo has hooks)
Which is the only tapeworm not to have 4 suckers?
Dibothriocephalus latus
Treatment of choice for H.Diminuta?
Praziquantel
What species is this?
Dibothriocephalus latus
What is this?
H.Diminuta
How do you manage calcified lesions in NCC?
AEDs
Subarachnoid cysts in base of the brain ∆ of NCC. What key clinical concern?
Cause vasculitis of blood vessels - therefore cause stroke.
Can also grow very big, cause mass effect, may cause compression on ventricles causing hydrocephalus.
Rx with ABZ (maybe with PZQ - studies are being done- and long course)
Other symptoms of NC apart from seizures?
Headaches, blurred vision
Name the species
H.Nana head - single row hooks, low rostellum
What is cysticercosis?
Disseminated larval stage of taenia solium from ingestion of eggs
Which cestode does not have 4 suckers?
Dibothriocephalus latus
Neuroimaging criteria for neurocysticercosis
Major: Cystic, enhancing, or calcified lesions suggestive of NCC
Minor: Obstructive hydrocephalus, Meningeal enhancement
Confirmatory: resolution
What does cysts in the subarachnoid space of the spine cause?
Radiculitis, paraparesis
What is the intermediate host for Echinococcus granulises?
Intermediate: sheep
Definitive: Dog
Accidental: humans
Definitive treatment of the T.Solium parasite?
PZQ plus ABZ (if >1 lesion)
PLUS STEROIDS (death of parasite causes increased inflammation and seizures)
How do humans contract T.Solium?
Ingestion of T.Solium eggs (Causes cysticercosis)
Ingestion of larvae would cause Taeniasis (the tapeworm)
Which cestodes are intestinal? Which are tissue?
All intestinal except echinococcus (tissue) and T.Solium which is tissue and intestinal
What is this?
H.Nana (polar filaments, granular space between shells)
What is the dwarf tapeworm?
Hymenolepis species
Name the species
Echinococcus
Which of the cestodes are tissue cestodes?
T.Solium (tissue and intestinal)
Echinococcus (tissue)
What investigations can you do for echinococcus?
Imaging: CXR/CT/US
Serology – Western Blot
Name the species
Cysticercis (larva), Taenia solium
What does a single enhancing lesion of neurocysticercosis usually cause?
Benign prognosis
What are the main cestodes causing human disease?
Tapeworms
Small CE2 small cyst, an option instead of PAIR?
MOCAT - modified catheterisation technique if small
Same for CE3b
PAIR contraindicated for these, and medical therapy doesn’t work
Why does hymenolepis not cause human disease?
Larval stage instantly becomes scolex (hence why doesn’t cause human disease)
Treatment of choice for hymenolepis nana?
Praziquantel
What is the intermediate host for hymenolepis nana and diminuta?
Arthropods - fleas, beetles
How Is hymenolepis diminuta transmitted?
Cystercirci of hymenolepis diminuta ingested from arthropod
Name the species
Taenia Saginata adult