PARASITOLOGIA 3 PRIMER PARCIAL

Parasitología Médica (Medical Parasitology)

The branch of science that studies eukaryotic organisms (protozoa, helminths, and arthropods) that live at the expense of humans and can cause harm or disease.

Parasitismo (Parasitism)

A biological association in which one organism (the parasite) lives at the expense of another (the host) of a different species, obtaining nutrients and causing varying degrees of damage.

Comensalismo (Commensalism)

A biological relationship in which one organism benefits without causing damage or providing any benefit to the host (e.g., Entamoeba coli).

Mutualismo (Mutualism)

A biological relationship where both species derive mutual benefits and depend on the interaction for their development.

Simbiosis (Symbiosis)

An intimate and prolonged association between organisms of different species.

Vector Mecánico (Mechanical Vector)

An organism that passively transports a parasite on its body surface or within its digestive tract without the parasite undergoing any multiplication or developmental transformation (e.g., Musca domestica).

Vector Biológico (Biological Vector)

An indispensable arthropod host inside which a parasite must undergo essential development, transformation, or multiplication to become infective (e.g., Anopheles for Plasmodium).

Fómite (Fomite)

An inanimate contaminated object (such as clothing, drinking glasses, or towels) that serves to transmit infectious agents.

Protozoarios (Protozoa)

Unicellular, microscopic, heterotrophic eukaryotic organisms that carry out all vital metabolic and biological functions within a single cellular unit.

Citostoma (Cytostome)

The specialized cellular 'mouth' of certain protozoa utilized for ingesting food particles via phagocytosis.

Citopigio (Cytopyge)

The specialized cellular 'anus' of certain protozoa through which undigested residues and waste products are expelled.

Axostilo (Axostyle)

An internal structural supporting axis or rod composed of microtubules found in certain flagellated protozoans.

Trofozoíto (Trophozoite)

The vegetative, mobile, metabolically active, and pathogenic life cycle stage of a protozoan that is sensitive to external environmental conditions.

Quiste (Cyst)

The immobile, resistant, and infective transmission stage of a protozoan designed to withstand adverse environmental conditions.

Examen Directo en Fresco (Direct Wet Mount)

A coproparasitoscopic procedure utilizing saline solution and Lugol's iodine indicated for fresh diarrheal samples to visualize mobile trophozoites, cysts, and eggs.

Método de Faust (Faust Method)

A fecal concentration technique based on flotation using zinc sulfate, allowing cysts and parasitic eggs to rise because their density is lower than the solution.

Método de Ritchie (Ritchie Method)

A sedimentation concentration technique using formalin-ether that concentrates parasites at the bottom of the tube via centrifugation; ideal for cysts, heavy cysts, and eggs.

Método de Kato-Katz (Kato-Katz Method)

A quantitative coproparasitoscopic laboratory technique used to enumerate helminth eggs per gram of feces.

Entamoeba histolytica

An amebic intestinal protozoan whose infective stage is the mature tetranucleate cyst, inhabiting the cecum and colon, and capable of causing dysentery, flask-shaped mucosal ulcers, and amebic liver abscesses.

Colitis Amebiana Aguda / Disentería Amebiana (Acute Amebic Colitis / Amebic Dysentery)

An intestinal infection caused by Entamoeba histolytica characterized by colicky abdominal pain, tenesmus, painful straining (pujos), moderate fever, and muco-sanguinolent evacuations termed 'currant jelly' ('jarabe de grosella') stools.

Ameboma

A localized granulomatous mass within the wall of the colon produced by Entamoeba histolytica that can clinically and radiologically mimic a neoplasm.

Absceso Hepático Amebiano (Amebic Liver Abscess / AHA)

An extraintestinal complication of Entamoeba histolytica caused by portal vein dissemination, presenting with fever, pain in the right hypochondrium radiating to the shoulder, soft hepatomegaly, leukocytosis, and necrotic fluid resembling 'anchovy paste' ('pasta de anchoas').

Giardia duodenalis

A flagellated protozoan that colonizes the duodenum and jejunum, transmitted via tetranucleate cysts through fecalism, producing explosive foul-smelling diarrhea with steatorrhea, rotten egg-smelling eructations, and malabsorption syndrome.

Disco Suctor / Ventral (Ventral / Sucking Disk)

The specialized concave adhesive organelle on the ventral surface of the Giardia duodenalis trophozoite that enables adherence to the enterocytes of the duodenum and jejunum.

Esteatorrea (Steatorrhea in Giardiasis)

The excretion of excessive unabsorbed fat in the feces causing greasy, yellowish, floating, foul-smelling stools, leading to malabsorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins ($A$, $D$, $E$, $K$).

Trichomonas vaginalis

A flagellated, sexually transmitted protozoan of the urogenital tract that exists solely as a trophozoite (lacking a cyst stage) and infects the vagina, urethra, and prostate.

Cérvix en Fresa (Strawberry Cervix / Colpitis en Fresa)

A distinctive colposcopic manifestation of Trichomonas vaginalis infection characterized by diffuse cervical erythema with punctuated petechial hemorrhages.

Balantidium coli

The largest parasitic protozoan that infects humans; a ciliated organism inhabiting the cecum and colon, transmitted by ingestion of cysts (with pigs serving as the primary zoonotic reservoir), and responsible for balantidian dysentery.

Úlceras en Botón de Camisa ('Shirt-Button' Ulcers)

Characteristic rounded ulcerations with undermined edges found in the intestinal mucosa of the cecum and colon during acute infection with Balantidium coli.