Tuberculosis, syphilis, borrelia

Question 1

By which bacterium is tuberculosis caused + on which part of the body does it mostly act?

Answer 1

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, acid-fast rods

Acts mostly on lungs

Question 2

What is the Ghon / primary complex?

Answer 2

Lung lesions: calcified focus & enlarged lymph nodes

Question 3

What is miliary tuberculosis? What is secondary tuberculosis?

Answer 3

Miliary = disseminated tuberculosis when mycobacteria are not in tubercles but spread via blood 
Secondary = reactivated tuberculosis, mostly in apex of lung

Question 4

Treatment of tuberculosis?

Answer 4

antituberculosis drugs –> isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol

Question 5

By which bacterium is syphilis caused + how does it spread + treatment?

Answer 5

By spirochete treponema pallidum
spreads via sexual contact or transplacental (congenital)
treat with penicillin, if allergic doxycycline

Question 6

What are the 3 stages of syphilis?

Answer 6

Primary stage = single chancre on genitals = painless ulcer
Secondary stage = diffuse rash
Latent period = 3-30 years, some recover, some disease recurs
Tertiary stage = Gumma’s (non-cancerous growth of tissue), severe cardiovascular + neurological symptoms

Question 7

Non-specific tests for syphilis

Answer 7

detection of anti-lipid IgG or IgM
by VDRL and RPR test
positive within 4-6 weeks

Question 8

Specific tests for syphilis

Answer 8

treponemal antibody test
fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS)
microhaemagglutination assay (MHA-TP)

Question 9

Test in congenital syphilis

Answer 9

test antibodies at birht + 6 months later –> then antibodies of mother are gone

Question 10

Relapsing fever caused by which bacterium + how transmitted + treatment?

Answer 10

By Borrelia recurrentis, gram-negative spirochete
transmitted by human body lice –> when louse rubbed, it’s crushed and bacteria enter bite wound
treatment with tetracyline

Question 11

Symptoms relapsing fever

Answer 11

sudden onset chills and fever for 3-5 days –> then afebrile period of about 1 week –> 2nd fever attack

Question 12

By which bacterium is Lyme disease caused + how transmitted + treatment?

Answer 12

By Borrelia burgdorferi
transmitted via tick bite
treatment with doxycycline or amoxicillin

Question 13

Symptoms Lyme disease

Answer 13

fever, headache, myalgia, lymphadenopathy, rash lesion around tick bite = erythema migrans
late manifestations –> neurological & cardiological
arthritis due to cross-reaction