CNS pathogens/Disease Flashcards
1
Q
Prions
A
- Cause misfolding of proteins that lead to amyloids (beta-pleated sheets)
- Cause subacute spongiform encephalopathies.
2
Q
What are the types of prion disease spongiform encephalopathies?
A
- Consist of PrPc being mutated to PrPsc
- Kuru: via human cannabalism
- Creutzfeldt Jakob disease: blood or tissue contact with infected.
- Bovine spongiform encephalopathy: Infection from ingesting infected cattle.
- Scrapie: occurs within sheep/goats.
3
Q
Bacterial Meningitis (Neisseria meningitides)
A
- Common with MAC complex deficiency.
- Begins as petechial rash, headache, fever; via the LPS toxin.
- Diagnosis:
- CSF culture on Thayer-Martin VCN stain
- Gram(-) diplococci
- PCR
- Contain antiphagocytic capsule
4
Q
Treponema pallidum
A
- spirochete, gram (-) motile. unable to grow in vitro.
- Forms lympoplasmacytic vasculitis and granulomas.
5
Q
Syphilis (Treponema pallidum pallidum)
A
- 10-90 day incubation with painless contagious hard chancre.
- 2-24 weeks later disseminated disease with 2-6week long rash.
- years later develop tertiary syphilis with gummas and cardiac or neuro syphilis will be most likely cause of death.
6
Q
Congenital syphilis
A
- 1/2 die in utero.
- Infantile form: symptoms present in 1st two year of life.
- Tardive form: appear AFTER 2 y/o.
- Hutchinson Triad: interstitial keratitis, notched incisors, sensorineural heaing loss.
7
Q
Treponematosis
A
Non-sexually transmitted form of syphilis similar to yaws and pinta.
8
Q
Common causes of granulomatous encephalitis
A
- Acanthamoeba castellanii
- Balamuthia mandrillaris
9
Q
Cause of meningoencephalitis associated with a cribrifrom plate fracture.
A
Naegleria fowleri
10
Q
Eosinophilic meningitis (Angiostrongylus cantonensis)
A
- Eosinophilic meningitis: mimics bacterial meningitis via the rat lungworm.
- Rat: definitive host (primary)
- Humans: Incidental host with undercoooked intermediate hosts
- snail or slugs.
11
Q
Cysticercosis (Taenia solium)
A
- Cysticercosis: tissue infection with inflammation, edema, and fibrosis.
- Ingestion of undercooked pork or beef.
- Ingest from intermediate host= mild GI symptoms
- Ingestion from eggs in human fecal material =cysticercosis
12
Q
Coccidiomycosis (Coccidiodes immitis)
A
- Infection by thermally dimorphic fungi
- yeast in the heat
- Mold in the Cold
- Candida is the opposite
- Most common in california.
- Has angioinvasion, thrombosis, septic infarcts.
13
Q
Cryptococcus neoformans/ C. gattii
A
- Form “soap bubble” lesion in brain of immunocompromised.
- encapsulated
- Detected with Mucicarmine/PAS stain
- produce solitary pulmonary granuloma.
14
Q
Hantavirus
A
- Hemorrhagic fever with renal failure.
- Pulmonary Syndrome: spreading via aerosolized rodent excrement leading to pulmonary edema.
- Carrier is deer mice.
15
Q
Dengue virus
A
- Dengue fever: virus replicates in skin and travels to lymphoid. Causing viremia with rash of 3-9 days.
- Dengue hemorrhagic fever: immunopathological process with massive permeability, causing shock and death.
