Fecal Artifacts Flashcards

1
Q

Feces contain various components including:

A
  • undigested food
  • Digestive by-products
  • Human cells
  • Secretions from digestive tract
  • Microorganisms
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2
Q

Found in human samples are responsible for incorrect identification

A

Artifacts

“Confusers”

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3
Q

MTs should adhere to:

A
  • identification protocols
  • QC
  • reference materials (atlas)
  • consultants.
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4
Q

Pollen resemble ______________.

A

Taenia other helminth eggs

Check size and shape

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5
Q

Has no little to no internal structures

A

Pollen

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6
Q

Lacks 6-hooked oncosphere lack of embryo wall

A

Pollen

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7
Q

Vegetable Cells may be confused with __________

A

helminth eggs

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8
Q

Appear in larger in sizes compared
to helminth eggs

A

Vegetable Cells

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9
Q

Polygonal and flattened

A

Vegetable Cells

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10
Q

Interior portion is unorganized and
contain large vacuoles

A

Vegetable Cells

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11
Q

”ladder-like” appearance

A

Vegetable Spirals

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12
Q

Vegetable Spirals may be confused with ____________ because of shape and size

A

helminth
larva

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13
Q

Lacks head or tail region

A

Vegetable Spirals

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14
Q

Plant Hair/Fiber may be confused with __________
because of shape and size

A

helminth larva

(Hookworms and Strongyloides)

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15
Q

Lacks head or tail region (2)

A

Plant Hair/Fiber

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16
Q

They are often broken at one end

A

Plant Hair/Fiber

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17
Q

Have a refractile center

A

Plant Hair/Fiber

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18
Q

Lack internal structures seen in true parasites

A

Plant Hair/Fiber

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19
Q

Round to oval in shape ~ 4 to 8 um in size

A

Yeast

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20
Q

Yeast may be confused with ________, ________, __________, ___________, or _________.

A
  • Cryptosporidium spp.
  • Cyclospora spp.
  • microsporidia
  • helminth eggs
  • protozoan cysts
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21
Q

Yeast is normally present in stool hence reporting is not always necessary
Exception:

A
  • Fresh or freshly preserved stools with significant numbers of budding yeast
  • The presence of branching pseudohyphae
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22
Q

Fresh or freshly preserved stools with significant
numbers of budding yeast may indicate what?

A

systemic
infection

especially in immunosuppressed patients

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23
Q

The presence of branching pseudohyphae may be
an indication of what?

A

pathogenicity of the yeast present (Candida spp.)

should be reported.

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24
Q

Round to irregular round-shaped

A

Starch Cells/Granules

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25
Q

Starch Cells are called “Starch granules” if?

A

<10 um

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26
Q

Very refractile

A

Starch Cells/Granules

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27
Q

Has no internal structure or nucleus (2)

A

Starch Cells/Granules

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28
Q

Starch Cells/Granules May resemble what? give examples.

A

protozoan cysts (E. hartmanni & E. nana)

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28
Q

In Iodine Staining of Starch Cells/Granules, Undigested starch stains =

A

Blue-black

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29
Q

In Iodine Staining of Starch Cells/Granules, Partially digested =

A

Red/Pink

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30
Q

Protistan parasites of crayfish

A

Beaver Bodies

31
Q

Present in stool if crayfish is
consumed in significant
amounts

A

Beaver Bodies

32
Q

Beaver Bodies are also called?

A

corpora parasitica

33
Q

Beaver Bodies resemble?

A

helminth ova

34
Q

No clinical significance

A

Beaver Bodies

35
Q

Spherical in shape

A

Fat Globules

36
Q

Fat Globules resemble?

A

protozoan cysts

37
Q

Large amounts of fat globules may indicate presence of

A

excess fecal fat

(steatorrhea)

38
Q

Qualifications for steatorrhea

A
  • > 60 large droplets per HPO
  • 6 to 75 um
38
Q

Fat globules in normal samples:

A

100 small
droplets, <4 um in diameter per HPO

39
Q

Rectangular in shape

A

Muscle Fiber

40
Q

With or without striations

A

Muscle Fiber

41
Q

Normally present especially in high red-meat
diet

A

Muscle Fiber

42
Q

Presence of too much muscle fibers

A

“creatorrhea”

42
Q

Increased amounts of striated fibers are
seen in:

A
  • biliary obstruction
  • gastrocolic fistulas
  • pancreatic insufficiency (cystic fibrosis)
43
Q

Muscle fibers may be confused with?

A

tapeworm proglottid

44
Q

Seen in improperly prepared
wet mounts/smear

A

Air Bubbles

45
Q

Average size 14 um (10 - 12 um on permanent stained smear)

A

Neutrophils (PMNs)

46
Q

Ratio of nuclear material material to cytoplasm 1:1

A

Neutrophils (PMNs)

47
Q

Nucleus: 2 - 4 segments connected by narrow. short chromatin bands. Segments may appear as seperate nuclei like those of E. histolytica/ E. dispar cysts, focus carefully to reveal connecting chromatin strands

A

Neutrophils (PMNs)

48
Q

Granular cytoplasm

A

Neutrophils (PMNs)

49
Q

Trichrome staining characteristics similar to E. histolytica/ E. dispar

A

Neutrophils (PMNs) and Macrophage

50
Q

Average size, 20 um (less on permanent stained smear)

A

E. histolytica/ E. dispar (cysts)

51
Q

Ratio of nuclear material material to cytoplasm, 1:2 to 1:3

A

E. histolytica/ E. dispar (cysts)

52
Q

Uniform, agranular cytoplasm, may contain RBCs

A

E. histolytica/ E. dispar (cysts)

52
Q

Nucleus: round with central karyosome and peripheral chromatin

A

E. histolytica/ E. dispar (cysts)

53
Q

Trichrome: green cytoplasm, dark red nuclear material

A

E. histolytica/ E. dispar (cysts)

54
Q

Size: 30 to 60 um, may be 5 to 10 um less on permanent stained smear

A

Macrophages

55
Q

Ratio of nuclear material material to cytoplasm, 1:4 - 1:6

A

Macrophages

56
Q

One large nucleus that may be irregular in shape (like monocyte nucleus)

A

Macrophages

57
Q

Usually contains ingested debris, PMNs, and RBCs

A

Macrophages

58
Q

May contain red-staining round bodies and nucleus may be absent

A

Macrophages

59
Q

Trichrome staining characteristics similar to E. histolytica/ E. dispar

A

Neutrophils and Macrophages

60
Q

Size: 12 to 60 um; average, 20 um (less on permanent stained smear

A

E. histolytica/ E. dispar (trophozoites)

61
Q

Ratio of nuclear material to cytoplasm, 1:10 to 1:12

A

E. histolytica/ E. dispar (trophozoites)

62
Q

These are formed from the break-down
products of eosinophils

A

Charcot Leyden Crystals

63
Q

Seen in stool or sputum

A

Charcot Leyden Crystals

64
Q

Slender crystals with pointed ends
“diamond-shaped”

A

Charcot Leyden Crystals

65
Q

Stain red-purple with trichrome stain

A

Charcot Leyden Crystals

66
Q

Reported as ”Charcot-Leyden Crystal
Present” when seen

A

Charcot Leyden Crystals

67
Q

May indicate hypersensitivity/allergic
reaction and parasitic helminth infections

A

Charcot Leyden Crystals

68
Q

With large, refractile nucleus. With
distinct cell borders

A

Epithelial Cells

69
Q

Epithelial Cells types found:

A
  • Squamous epithelial cells (from
    anal mucosa)
  • Columnar epithelial cells (from intestinal mucosa)
70
Q

Epithelial Cells look like?

A

amebic trophozoites

71
Q

Lack the typical interior structures of
amebic trophozoites

A

Epithelial Cells