Fecal Artifacts Flashcards
Feces contain various components including:
- undigested food
- Digestive by-products
- Human cells
- Secretions from digestive tract
- Microorganisms
Found in human samples are responsible for incorrect identification
Artifacts
“Confusers”
MTs should adhere to:
- identification protocols
- QC
- reference materials (atlas)
- consultants.
Pollen resemble ______________.
Taenia other helminth eggs
Check size and shape
Has no little to no internal structures
Pollen
Lacks 6-hooked oncosphere lack of embryo wall
Pollen
Vegetable Cells may be confused with __________
helminth eggs
Appear in larger in sizes compared
to helminth eggs
Vegetable Cells
Polygonal and flattened
Vegetable Cells
Interior portion is unorganized and
contain large vacuoles
Vegetable Cells
”ladder-like” appearance
Vegetable Spirals
Vegetable Spirals may be confused with ____________ because of shape and size
helminth
larva
Lacks head or tail region
Vegetable Spirals
Plant Hair/Fiber may be confused with __________
because of shape and size
helminth larva
(Hookworms and Strongyloides)
Lacks head or tail region (2)
Plant Hair/Fiber
They are often broken at one end
Plant Hair/Fiber
Have a refractile center
Plant Hair/Fiber
Lack internal structures seen in true parasites
Plant Hair/Fiber
Round to oval in shape ~ 4 to 8 um in size
Yeast
Yeast may be confused with ________, ________, __________, ___________, or _________.
- Cryptosporidium spp.
- Cyclospora spp.
- microsporidia
- helminth eggs
- protozoan cysts
Yeast is normally present in stool hence reporting is not always necessary
Exception:
- Fresh or freshly preserved stools with significant numbers of budding yeast
- The presence of branching pseudohyphae
Fresh or freshly preserved stools with significant
numbers of budding yeast may indicate what?
systemic
infection
especially in immunosuppressed patients
The presence of branching pseudohyphae may be
an indication of what?
pathogenicity of the yeast present (Candida spp.)
should be reported.
Round to irregular round-shaped
Starch Cells/Granules
Starch Cells are called “Starch granules” if?
<10 um
Very refractile
Starch Cells/Granules
Has no internal structure or nucleus (2)
Starch Cells/Granules
Starch Cells/Granules May resemble what? give examples.
protozoan cysts (E. hartmanni & E. nana)
In Iodine Staining of Starch Cells/Granules, Undigested starch stains =
Blue-black
In Iodine Staining of Starch Cells/Granules, Partially digested =
Red/Pink