Faculty of

Medicine
Medical Education-
Damietta
University

Level 1
Semester 2
Practical Parasitology
Chest Module
Parasites affecting lung
 Instructor information
• Contact: Parasitology Department.
• Official email:
• Mobile (optional):
• Academic hours:
➢……………day: 00:00-00:00 AM
➢…………...day: 00:00-00:00 AM
 Content of lecture
• Parasite identification
• Hydatid cyst
• Visceral larva migrans
• Amoebic abscess
 Learning outcomes
• By the end of the lecture, the students will be able to:
Identify and differentiate different parasite stages according to
their morphological characters
 Hydatid Disease
(Hydatidosis or Echinococcosis)
▪ Definition: It is a pathological condition in which the hydatid cyst (larval stage of
E. granulosus) is present in the human tissues.
▪ Life Cycle E. granulosus:
• Habitat: Small intestine.
• Definitive host: Dogs or other carnivorous animals.
• Intermediate host: herbivorous animals (Sheep, cattle,....) and Man (Accidental
host).
• Infective stage to dog: Hydatid cyst.
• Infective stage to man: eggs.
• Stages of life cycle: egg →onchosphere →hydatid cyst in(I.H.) →adult in(D.H.)
Life Cycle E. granulosus
 Echinococcus granulosus adult

• Size: 5 mm.
• Scolex: globular scolex with 4
suckers.
• Strobila:3 segments (one immature,
one mature, one gravid).
• Mature segment: longer than broad.
• Gravid segment: is 1/2 length of the
worm, longer than broad, lateral
pouches which are full of eggs.
Hydatid cyst
 Hydatid cyst
• Size: 1-10 cm.
• Shape: spherical enclosed in a fibrous capsule produced by the
host.
• The wall of the cyst has 2 layers:
• (l) Outer laminated non-cellular layer.
• (2) Inner cellular germinal layer.
• Contents:
• (a) Individual scolices (microscopic).
• (b) Brood capsules.
• (c) Daughter cysts.
• (d) Hydatid fluid.
• (e) Hydatid sand.
• (f) Exogenous daughter cysts.
 Hydatid sand

• Definition: It is detached
scolices, brood capsules and
daughter cysts that fall in the
hydatid fluid.
• It is antigenic, Repture of the cyst
results in anaphylactic shock.
 Visceral larva migrans

• Definition: It is the invasion of human viscera by the larvae of some

human or nonhuman nematodes.
• Causes:
1. Toxocara canis: It is a parasite of dog.
2. Toxocara cati: It is a parasite of cat.
3. Other human or nonhuman nematodes.
 Toxocariasis life cycle

• The infective stage for man: Egg with

2nd stage rhabditiform larva.

• Man (Accidental host): acquires the

infection by accidental ingestion of
T. canis and/or T. cati infective eggs.

• Pops: are infected trans-mammary.

 Toxocara egg

• Size: 85x75 μ.
• Shell: Dark brown with pitted shell.
• It passes immature with the stool of
dogs and cats.
 Amoebic abscess

• It is one of the clinical manifestations of extra-intestinal amoebiasis.

• Causes of pleuro-pulmonary amoebiasis:
1- Primary direct extension from amoebic liver abscess through the
diaphragm.
or by
2- Secondary embolization from the intestinal wall.
• Lung abscess may be single or multiple, in the lower lobe of the right
lung.
• Expectoration of reddish-brown sputum is a characteristic feature.
 Entamoeba histolytica
• The parasite has 3 stages:1) trophozoite, 2) pre-cyst and 3) cyst
A. Trophozoite
• Size: 20-60 μm.
• Shape: irregular outline with finger like pseudopodia.
• Cytoplasm: formed of outer clear hyaline ectoplasm and inner
granular endoplasm containing food vacuoles which may contain
R.B.Cs or bacteria and epithelial debris.
• Nucleus: has centrally located fine karyosome and
peripheral chromatin dots arranged regularly at the inner side of the
nuclear membrane.
• B. Cyst
• Spherical in shape & 10-20μm in diameter. 1-4 nuclei.
• Immature cyst (1 or 2 nuclei) has the glycogen vacuoles &
chromatoid bodies which are sausage-shaped with round ends.
• Mature cyst (4 nuclei) is the infective stage.
 Amoebasis
❖ Life Cycle:
• Habitat:
a. Trophozoite: Lumen, mucosa and sub-
mucosa of the large intestine with extra-
intestinal metastases (liver, lung and brain).
b. Cyst: Lumen of the large intestine.
• Definitive host: Man.
• Reservoir hosts: Monkeys, dogs and rats.
• Infective stage: Mature quadri-nucleate cyst.
• Diagnostic stage: Cyst, trophozoite.
 Questions

The definitive host of this parasite is:

A. Dog.
B. Sheep.
C. Man.
D. birds.
Answer: Dog
The segment which occupy the half of
the length of this worm, and is
occupied by uterus is called:
a. Scolex.
b. Rostellum.
c. Immature segment.
d. Gravid segment.

Answer: Gravid segment

This stage of parasite is infective to:
A. Sheeps.
B. Man.
C. Intermediate host.
D. Dogs.

Answer: Dogs
What is true about this parasitic stage:
A. It has a pitted shell.
B. It is greenish in color.
C. It passes mature outside the
definitive host.
D. It passes with sputum of definitive
host.

Answer: It has a pitted shell.

What is true about this parasitic stage:
A. It has a smooth shell.
B. It passes mature outside the
definitive host.
C. It passes with sputum of definitive
host.
D. It causes visceral larva migrans.

Answer: It causes visceral larva

migrans.
Extra-intestinal blood spread occur in infection with :

• a. Giardia intestinalis
• b. Entamoeba coli
• c. Isospora belli
• d. Entamoeba histolytica

• Answer: Entamoeba histolytica

Discussion & Feedback
 References
• Textbook of medical parasitology.
• Robert S (2013): Foundations of Parasitology, 9th ed.
• Human Parasitology: Burton J. Bogitsh, Clint E. Carter, Thomas N.