Adult Tapeworm Infections

Published on 25/03/2015 by admin

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Last modified 25/03/2015

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Chapter 294 Adult Tapeworm Infections

Cestodes are segmented flat worms popularly referred to as tapeworms. The family is large with a wide range of sizes (8 mm to 10 m) and morbidities. Their life cycle is usually distributed between 2 hosts, although some species, such as Taenia solium, can complete development in 1 host and others, such as Diphyllobothrium latum, require 3 hosts. A consistent theme in cestode developmental biology is that the adult, sexually replicating stages inhabit the gastrointestinal tract and have low pathogenicity, whereas, the asexually reproducing intermediate stages are tissue invasive and are potentially the cause of very serious morbidity. Depending on the species, humans can be host to either stage or both (Table 294-1). The most important invasive cestodes, T. solium (Chapter 295) and Echinococcus species (Chapter 296), are presented in subsequent chapters. The differential distribution of adult versus intermediate stages also influences diagnostic approaches. Infection with the adult worm can be easily diagnosed by finding eggs or segments of adult worms in the stool, whereas the invasive stage of the parasite cannot be observed in any easily sampled fluid. Infection with an intermediate stage, therefore, must be diagnosed by serologic tests, imaging, or invasive procedures.

Taeniasis (Taenia Saginata and Taenia Solium)