This episode examines cestodes, or tapeworms - segmented flatworms characterised by a scolex for attachment and chains of proglottids. Drawing from Murray’s Chapter 76, it explores both intestinal colonisation and tissue-invasive larval disease.
Cestodes consist of:
Scolex - head with hooks or suckers
Proglottids - reproductive segments
Eggs and larvae - capable of tissue invasion
Two major disease patterns emerge:
Intestinal tapeworm infection (e.g., Taenia saginata) - often mild, sometimes asymptomatic
Tissue cystic disease (e.g., Taenia solium cysticercosis, Echinococcus hydatid disease) - larval cysts in brain, liver, or lungs
In tissue infections, pathology results from space-occupying cysts and inflammatory responses upon rupture.
Conceptually, cestodes illustrate dual-phase disease - luminal adulthood and tissue larval pathology. Clinically, dietary exposure and animal contact are key epidemiologic factors.
Key Takeaways
Cestodes are segmented flatworms
Scolex enables intestinal attachment
Larval forms can invade tissue
Cysticercosis and hydatid disease cause space-occupying lesions
Prevention involves food safety and animal control
