infections of CNS - fungal, parasitic, prion

Question 1

two major vulnerable groups for toxoplasmosis

Answer 1

• fetus in utero

- immunocompromised (AIDS)

Question 2

pathology of toxoplasmosis in utero

Answer 2

• causes microcephaly and mental retardation

Question 3

what may aid in diagnosis of toxoplasmosis?

Answer 3

retinal involvement and intracerebral calcifications may show on x-ray

Question 4

pathology of toxoplasmosis in immunocompromised

Answer 4

• “destructive meningoencephalitis, usually with multiple small abscesses in the basal ganglia region”

Question 5

helminth infestations may present as

Answer 5

• meningitis or encephalitis
• focal granulomata
• vasculitis
• mass lesion or seizure disorder

Question 6

five shared characteristics of prion diseases

Answer 6

1) transmissible experimentally
2) long latent period
3) degenerative with no inflammation
4) progressive chronic or subacute illness
5) elusive infectious agent

Question 7

what is the infectious agent in prion disease

Answer 7

probably a misfolded protein rather than a virus or organism

Question 8

common prion diseases

Answer 8

• scrapie
• kuru
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
• bovine spongiform encephalopathy

Question 9

who gets fungal infections?

Answer 9

• immune compromised
• advanced diabetes
• those on immunosuppressive therapy

Question 10

common fungal infections for those under immunosuppressive therapy

Answer 10

aspergillosis and candidiasis

Question 11

fungus most often found in diabetics

Answer 11

mucormycosis

Question 12

fungal infections that can occur in a normal host and how do they present?

Answer 12

• coccidioidomycosis and cryptococcosis

- granulomatous meningitis

Question 13

fungal treatment

Answer 13

intrathecal amphotericin B or 5-fluorocytosine