Microorganisms

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Microorganisms show-up every once in a while. It is essential to know 'em.

Microorganisms

Name (disease) Kingdom Size Shape Stains Other (microscopic) Clinical References Image
Aspergillus (aspergillosis) Fungi ? Hyphae that branching
with 45 degrees angle
PAS-D Fruiting heads when aerobic ? Immunosuppression [1] Aspergillus (WC), Aspergillus cytology (WC)
Zygomycota (zygomycosis);
more specific
Mucorales (mucormycosis)
Fungi ? Branching hyphae with variable width ? Granulomata assoc. Diabetes, immunodeficient [1] Mucormycosis (homestead.com), Zygomycosis (WC)
Coccidioides, usually C. immitis
(coccidioidomycosis)
Fungi Large - 20-60 micrometers,
endospores 1-5 micrometers
Spherules Stains? Other? Immunodeficient [1] Coccidioidomycosis (med.sc.edu) C. immitis (WC)
Histoplasma (histoplasmosis) Fungi 2-5 micrometers Spherical GMS Intracellular (unlike candida), granulomata Source: soil with bird droppings [1] Histoplasmosis (WC)
Blastomyces (Blastomycosis) Fungi 5-15 micrometres Spherical (yeast) Stains? Granulomas, broad-based budding yeast Habitat: Northeast America, Africa [1][2] Blastomyces
Paracoccidioides (Paracoccidioidomycosis) Fungi 6-60 micrometres Spherical (yeast) Stains? Multiple budding "steering wheel" appearance Clinical??? [1] P. brasiliensis (WC).
Pneumocystis jirovecii (Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia; abbrev. PCP) Fungi (previously thought to be a protozoan) 7-8 micrometres "Dented ping-pong ball" GMS Usually in clusters of alveolar casts with a honeycomb appearance HIV/AIDS associated [3] PCP (WC)
Cryptococcosis Fungi 5-15 micrometres Yeast GMS Prominent (i.e. thick polysaccharide) capsule HIV/AIDS associated, most common CNS fungus [1] Crytococcosis - methenamine silver (WC), Crytococcosis - mucicarmine (WC).

Notes:

  • Bold text = key features.

Fungi

  • There are lots of 'em. Below are a few of 'em.

Terminology:[4]

  • Hyphae = microscopic filamentous growth (of fungi) -- single cell.
  • Mycelial = filamentous network of hyphae.
  • Septae/septation = hyphae may be subdivided by septae -- if they aren't they are one mass of protoplasm. (?)
  • Dimorphism = exist in two forms; e.g. single cell (yeast) and mycelial growth.
  • Pseudohyphae = looks like hyphae --but branching pattern is created by separate cells.[5]

Tissue invasive fungi

Typically:[6]

  • Mucor
  • Aspergillus

Histoplasmosis

Coccidiomycosis

Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP)

  • Pneumocystis jirovecii (used to be called Pneumocystis carinii) - fungus (that used to be considered a parasite), typical location: lung.
    • Clinical: Opportunistic infection. May have subtle finding on chest x-ray.
    • "Dented ping-pong ball" appearance;[7] - remember PCP = ping-pong.
    • Approximately 7-8 micrometres in size - PCP (WP). Several images are here (WC).

Cryptococcus

  • Usually C. neoformans, fungus - opportunistic infection, typical location: lung.
  • Most common fungus seen in CSF specimens.[1]

Appearance:

  • Yeast:
    • Round/ovoid 5-15 micrometres (may resemble Histoplasma or Candida -- but often larger).
    • Thick mucopolysacchardie capsule + refractile centre.[1]
    • "Tear drop-shapped" budding pattern (useful to differentiate from Blastomyces, Histoplasma).[1]

Images:

Notes:

  • May be confused with corpora amylacea in the CNS, esp. as they (like cryptococci) stain for methenamine silver, Alcian blue, and PAS.[10]

Cryptosporidiosis

General

  • Caused by cryptosporidium.
  • Fecal-oral transmission.
  • Usu. in immunoincompetent individuals, e.g. HIV/AIDS.

Microscopic

Features:

  • Uniform spherical nodules 2-4 micrometres in diameter, typical location - GI tract brush border.
    • Bluish staining of brush border key feature - low power.

Images:

Notes:

  • Cryptosporidium parvum?[11]

Candidiasis

Blastomycosis


Mucormycosis

General

  • Causative organism: Mucorales.
    • Kingdom: Fungi.
    • AKA Zygomycota (zygomycosis).
  • Assoc. with diabetes, immunodeficiency.

Histology

Features:[1]

  • Branching hyphae variable width.
  • Granulomata associated.

Image:

Worms & stuff

Schistosoma

See Urine cytopathology.
  • Associated with squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder.

Microscopic

Features of ova:

  • Elliptical ~80 micrometres max dimension.
  • S. haematobium has a "spike" approx. the size of a PMN.

Image:

Toxoplasma

General

  • Common CNS infection.
    • Toxoplasma gondii - pathogenic; causes toxoplasmosis.
  • Protozoa.

Microscopic

General:

  • Dependent on location in body.

Lymph node

LN features:[14]

  • Reactive germinal centers (pale areas - larger than usual).
    • Often poorly demarcated - due to loose epithelioid cell clusters at germinal center edge - key feature.
  • Epithelioid cells - perifollicular & intrafollicular.
    • Loose aggregates of histiocytes (do not form round granulomas):
      • Abundant pale cytoplasm.
      • Nucleoli.
  • Monocytoid cells (monocyte-like cells) - in cortex & paracortex.
    • Large cells in islands/sheets key feature with:
      • Abundant pale cytoplasm - important.
      • Well-defined cell border - important.
      • Singular nucleus.
    • Cell clusters usually have interspersed neutrophils.

Images (lymph node):

CNS

CNS features:[15]

  • Granular appearing ball ~ 2x the size of resting lymphocyte.

Images (CNS):

IHC

  • IHC for toxoplasma.[16]

Strongyloidiasis

General

  • Causes by worm Strongyloides stercoralis.
  • High case mortality rate ~ 70%.[17]
  • May present after years of latency due to immune suppression.[18]

Location:

  • Lung. (???)

Microscopic

Features:

  • Long worms.
  • ~10-15 micrometers wide.

Images:

Echinococcus

  • Several species - most common: Echinococcus granulosus.
  • Causes hydatid disease in the liver.

Microscopic

Features:

  • Laminated wall +/- calcification.[19]
  • Organisms:
    • Hooklets.
    • Scoleces - knoblike anterior end of a tapeworm.[20]

Enterobius vermicularis

  • AKA pinworm.

Features:[21]

  • Ovoid eggs - double walled shells, one side flat.

Images:

Trichinella

General

  • Causes Trichinosis.
    • Classically associated with uncooked pork.[22]
  • Several types; most due to T. spiralis.[22]

Microscopic

Features:

  • Worm.

Image:

Cysticercosis

General

  • Caused by Taenia solium; pork tapeworm.
  • May cause epilepsy; most common parasitic CNS infection.[24]

Viruses

This is a fairly big topic. There are about half a dozen viral inclusions (e.g. CMV, HSV, VZV, adenovirus) a decent pathologist ought to be able to identify. The virus article covers 'em.

See also

References

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Lefkowitch, Jay H. (2006). Anatomic Pathology Board Review (1st ed.). Saunders. pp. 682. ISBN 978-1416025887.
  2. http://pathmicro.med.sc.edu/mycology/mycology-6.htm
  3. Lefkowitch, Jay H. (2006). Anatomic Pathology Board Review (1st ed.). Saunders. pp. 684. ISBN 978-1416025887.
  4. http://www.fungionline.org.uk/1intro/3growth_forms.html
  5. http://pathmicro.med.sc.edu/mycology/mycology-3.htm
  6. CM 17 Apr 2009.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Humphrey, Peter A; Dehner, Louis P; Pfeifer, John D (2008). The Washington Manual of Surgical Pathology (1st ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. pp. 103. ISBN 978-0781765275.
  8. URL: http://moon.ouhsc.edu/kfung/jty1/opaq/PathQuiz/A6I001-PQ01-M.htm. Accessed on: 19 October 2010
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Humphrey, Peter A; Dehner, Louis P; Pfeifer, John D (2008). The Washington Manual of Surgical Pathology (1st ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. pp. 3. ISBN 978-0781765275.
  10. URL: http://flylib.com/books/en/2.953.1.17/1/. Accessed on: 15 December 2010.
  11. http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/Cryptosporidiosis.htm
  12. http://pathmicro.med.sc.edu/mycology/mycology-3.htm
  13. PMID 12375640
  14. Ioachim, Harry L; Medeiros, L. Jeffrey (2008). Ioachim's Lymph Node Pathology (4th ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. pp. 113. ISBN 978-0781775960.
  15. URL: http://moon.ouhsc.edu/kfung/jty1/opaq/PathQuiz/N0I001-PQ01-M.htm. Accessed on: 19 October 2010.
  16. URL: http://moon.ouhsc.edu/kfung/jty1/opaq/PathQuiz/N0I001-PQ01-M.htm. Accessed on: 19 October 2010.
  17. Lim, S.; Katz, K.; Krajden, S.; Fuksa, M.; Keystone, JS.; Kain, KC. (Aug 2004). "Complicated and fatal Strongyloides infection in Canadians: risk factors, diagnosis and management.". CMAJ 171 (5): 479-84. doi:10.1503/cmaj.1031698. PMID 15337730.
  18. Siddiqui, AA.; Berk, SL. (Oct 2001). "Diagnosis of Strongyloides stercoralis infection.". Clin Infect Dis 33 (7): 1040-7. doi:10.1086/322707. PMID 11528578.
  19. Mitchell, Richard; Kumar, Vinay; Fausto, Nelson; Abbas, Abul K.; Aster, Jon (2011). Pocket Companion to Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease (8th ed.). Elsevier Saunders. pp. 448. ISBN 978-1416054542.
  20. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/scoleces. Accessed on: 10 January 2010.
  21. Lefkowitch, Jay H. (2006). Anatomic Pathology Board Review (1st ed.). Saunders. pp. 685. ISBN 978-1416025887.
  22. 22.0 22.1 Kaewpitoon N, Kaewpitoon SJ, Philasri C, et al. (October 2006). "Trichinosis: epidemiology in Thailand". World J. Gastroenterol. 12 (40): 6440–5. PMID 17072975. http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/12/6440.asp.
  23. URL: http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/EXAM/IMGQUIZ/msfrm.html. Accessed on: 5 December 2010.
  24. Prasad KN, Prasad A, Verma A, Singh AK (November 2008). "Human cysticercosis and Indian scenario: a review". J. Biosci. 33 (4): 571–82. PMID 19208982.