ParaLab - Fecal Artifacts

Question 1

Fecal artifacts are also called as what?

Answer 1

Confusers or Pseudoparasites

Question 2

Fecal Artifact that resembles Taenia and other helminth eggs; it has little to no internal structures; lacks 6-hooked oncosphere and embryo wall

Answer 2

Pollen

Question 3

Fecal Artifact that appears polygonal and flattened, may be confused with helminth eggs but appear larger than them. They also have unorganized interior portions and contain large vacuoles.

Answer 3

Vegetable Cells

Question 4

Artifacts with ladder-like appearance and may be confused w/ helminth larva because of size and shape; lacks head and tail region

Answer 4

Vegetable Spirals

Question 5

Artifact that can be confused with helminth larva (strongyloides and hookworm) and has a reflective center. it also lacks internal structure and head/tail region.

Answer 5

Plant Hair/Fiber

Question 6

Artifact that is round and oval in shape; may be confused w/ cryptosporidium, cyclospora, microsporidia, helminth eggs, or protozoan cysts.

Answer 6

Yeast

Question 7

Size of yeast?

Answer 7

4 to 8 um in size

Question 8

what is normally present in stool so reporting isn’t necessary?

Answer 8

Yeast

Question 9

presence of what may be an indication of pathogenicity of the yeast present (Candida spp.)?

Answer 9

branching pseudohyphae

Question 10

Artifacts that are round to irregular round-shaped and are very refractile; may resemble protozoan cysts

Answer 10

Starch cells/granules

Question 11

A starch granule may be identified as it is if it is less than ____ um?

Answer 11

Starch granules if less than 10 um

Question 12

In iodine staining, what is the color of undigested starch?

Answer 12

blue-black

Question 13

In iodine staining, what is the color of partially digested starch?

Answer 13

Red/pink

Question 14

Artifacts that are the protozoan parasites of crayfsh. Present in stool if crayfish is consumed in significant amounts.

Answer 14

Beaver bodies

Question 15

Sometimes known as corpora parasitica and resemble helminth ova; has no clinical significance

Answer 15

Beaver bodies

Question 16

Artifacts that are spherical in shape and resemble protozoan cysts; present in steatorrhea

Answer 16

Fat globules

Question 17

large amounts of this may indicate excess fecal fat

Answer 17

fat globules

Question 18

clinical term for excess fecal fat?

Answer 18

steatorrhea

Question 19

observation of how many fat globules per HPO may indicate steatorrhea?

Answer 19

> 60 large fat globules

6 - 75um in size

Question 20

Artifacts that are rectangular in shape and may appear with or without striations

Answer 20

Muscle fiber

Question 21

Artifacts that are present in high red-meat diet

Answer 21

muscle fiber

Question 22

Presence of striated fibers may indicate what?

Answer 22

gastrocolic fistulas and pancreatic sufficiency (cystic fibrosis)

creatorrhea*

Question 23

Confuser that may be confused with tapeworm proglottid

Answer 23

Muscle fiber

Question 24

Fecal Artifact that results from improperly prepared wet mounts/smear?

Answer 24

Air bubbles

Question 25

Artifacts that appear as slender crystals w/ pointed ends (diamond-shaped) and are the breakdown products of eosinophils.

Answer 25

Charcot leyden crystals

Question 26

Artifacts that stain purple with trichome stain and may indicate hypersensitivity/allergic rxn and helminthic infections

Answer 26

Charcot leyden crystals

Question 27

Artifacts that appear large w/ refractile nucleus and distinct cell borders. Looks like amoebic trophozoites but lacks the interior structures of these trophs.

Answer 27

Epithelial cells

Question 28

Squamous epithelial cells most likely came from where?

Answer 28

anal mucosa

Question 29

Columnar epithelial cells most likely came from where?

Answer 29

intestinal mucosa

Question 30

# True or False Vegetable cells may easily be confused with helminth eggs

Answer 30

True

Question 31

# True or False Thick-walled pollen grains resemble the eggs of *Taenia* spp

Answer 31

True

Question 32

# True or False Starch granules may appear at first glance to be protozoan cysts particularly those of *E. hartmanni* & *E. nana*.

Answer 32

True

Question 33

# True or False Presence of air bubbles suggests uneven smear

Answer 33

True

Question 34

# True or False Polymorphonuclear white blood cells are often mistaken for amebic cysts, especially those of *Entamoeba histolytica*

Answer 34

True

Question 35

Confusers that are indicators of helminthic infection

Answer 35

Charcot Leyden crystals ## Footnote higher eos breakdown = higher charcot leyden

Question 36

what confuser may be confused with protozoan trophozoites? | immune system cell

Answer 36

white blood cells ## Footnote - PMNs = likely protoz cysts - Macrophages = likely amoebic trophz

Question 37

Sphere-looking cyst-like structures; present in steatorrhea

Answer 37

fat globules

Question 38

Rectangular structures representing undigested meat fibers

Answer 38

Muscle fiber

Question 39

Coiled strand of vegetable remnants iwth a ladder-like appearance

Answer 39

Vegetable spirals

Question 40

These are diamond-shaped crystals which develop from eosinophil breakdown products

Answer 40

Charcot Leyden