Laboratory: Artifacts and Confusers

Question 1

There are a number of structures that closely resemble parasites, but in reality, are not. They are termed as _

Answer 1

Artifacts and Confusers

Question 2

These are often mistaken for amebic cysts

Answer 2

Polymorphonuclear white blood cells (WBCs)

Question 3

Polymorphonuclear white blood cells (WBCs), are often mistaken for amebic cysts, especially those _

Answer 3

E. histolytica

Question 4

WBCs are usually present in patients suffering from

Answer 4

Ulcerative colitis
Bacterial dysentery
Intestinal amebiasis

Question 5

These WBCs have a _ to _ nucleus

Answer 5

Two-to-four lobed

Question 6

Protozoan nuclear inclusions

Answer 6

Karyosomes
Peripheral Chromatin

Question 7

Mononuclear WBCs are also known as

Answer 7

Macrophages
Monocytes

Question 8

_ may closely resemble the E. histolytica trophozoite

Answer 8

Mononuclear WBCs

Question 9

Mononuclear WBCs may closely resemble the

Answer 9

E. histolytica trophozoite

Question 10

The macrophage has one __ that is often _ on examination

Answer 10

Irregularly-shaped nucleus
Absent

Question 11

These may be seen in the macrophages

Answer 11

Red-staining round bodies

Question 12

Thick-walled pollen grains resemble the egg of _ but _

Answer 12

Taenia spp.
smaller

Question 13

_ resemble the egg of Taenia spp. but smaller

Answer 13

Thick-walled pollen grain

Question 14

Pollen grains may appear

Answer 14

Round or symmetrically-lobed

Question 15

_ may easily be confused with helminth eggs

Answer 15

Vegetable cells

Question 16

The _ portion of vegetable cells is _ and often appears to consist primarily of _

Answer 16

Interior
Unorganized
Large vacuoles

Question 17

_ often resemble helminth larvae in shape and size

Answer 17

Vegetable spirals

Question 18

Unlike helminth larvae, however, vegetable spirals do not have a _

Answer 18

Head or tail region

Question 19

Vegetable spirals are readily distinguished from parasitic forms by their

Answer 19

Ladder-like appearance

Question 20

Of all of the confusers and artifacts, _ have the most clinical significance

Answer 20

Charcot-Leyden Crystals

Question 21

The presence of these diamond-shaped crystals, which develop from _

Answer 21

Eosinophil breakdown products

Question 22

The round to ovals yeast cells measure _ and may be confused with _

Answer 22

4-8μm in size
Protozoan cysts

Question 23

Size of Entamoeba hartmanni

Answer 23

5-12μm

Question 24

Size of Entamoeba nana

Answer 24

4-12μm

Question 25

Size of Entamoeba hominis

Answer 25

3-10μm

Question 26

There is a considerable resemblance of a yeast cell to the

Answer 26

oocysts of Cryptosporidium

Question 27

Yeast may be easily distinguished from parasites when seen in their

Answer 27

Budding stage

Question 28

_ may also resemble helminth larvae

Answer 28

Plant hair

Question 29

In addition, plant hair may appear to have a

Answer 29

Nondescript internal structure

Question 30

Upon further examination, plant hair does not have diagnostic structures, such as:

Answer 30

Buccal cavity
Esophagus
Intestine
Genital primordium
Head or tail region

Question 31

_ may range in diameter from _ and resemble helminth eggs, particularly an _

Answer 31

Plant material
12 -150μm
Ascaris lumbricoides

Question 32

Plant material is often rough in appearance and may have hairs known as

Answer 32

Pseudocilia

Question 33

_ often show a striking resemblance to amebic trophozoites in size and shape

Answer 33

Epithelial cells

Question 34

The cytoplasm of epithelial cells is usually

Answer 34

Smooth
Contains no inclusions

Question 35

Similarities of epithelial cells and amebic trophozoites

Answer 35

Have a single nucleus
Often show a distinct cell wall

Question 36

_ may be similar to the size and shape of protozoan cysts

Answer 36

Fungal elements

Question 37

The _ easily distinguishes these artifacts from parasitic forms

Answer 37

Lack of interior structure

Question 38

Round to irregular round-shaped starch cells also referred to as

Answer 38

Starch granules

Question 39

Starch granules measure less than _ and may appear at first glance to be protozoan cysts, particularly those of _ and _

Answer 39

10μm
E. hartmanni
E. nana

Question 40

These starch cells are readily differentiated from parasitic forms because they lack

Answer 40

Intestinal structure

Question 41

In addition, starch cells may be differentiated from parasites because of their _ appearance with _

Answer 41

Dark blue-black
Iodine

Question 42

_ often appear on Giemsa-stained blood smears and may be mistaken for _ especially the _

Answer 42

Clumped or fused platelets
Malarial parasites
Young trophozoite form

Question 43

Unlike a malarial parasite, which typically appears as a _ with a _, clumped or fused platelets appear in _.

Answer 43

Blue cytoplasm
Red chromatin
Various shades of purple

Question 44

_ may be visible on blood smears and may be mistaken for _

Answer 44

Giemsa-stain precipitate
Malarial parasites

Question 45

Stain precipitate is usually _ in color than malarial parasites

Answer 45

Bluer

Question 46

_, such as _ or _, may be present on Giemsa-stained blood smears.

Answer 46

Red blood cell abnormalities
Howell-Jolly Bodies
Cabot’s rings

Question 47

These abnormalities may be easily distinguished from malarial parasites by their

Answer 47

Different staining characteristics