Microbiology Basic and Clinical Principles Test Bank Related

Review Microbiology Basic and Clinical Principles Test Bank related questions and content

A lymph node punctate of a patient with suspected protozoa disease was examined. Examination of the stained specimen (Romanovsky's stain) revealed some crescent bodies with pointed end, blue cytoplasm and red nucleus. What protozoan were revealed in the smears?

  • A. Toxoplasmas
  • B. Malarial plasmodiums
  • C. Dermotropic leishmania
  • D. Viscerotropic leishmania
Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Malarial plasmodiums. The description of crescent bodies with a pointed end, blue cytoplasm, and red nucleus corresponds to the characteristics of Plasmodium species seen in Romanovsky's stain. Plasmodium species are known to cause malaria and have distinct features like the ones described.

Incorrect choices:
A: Toxoplasmas - Toxoplasma gondii typically appear as tachyzoites or bradyzoites under staining, not crescent bodies.
C: Dermotropic leishmania - Leishmania species appear as amastigotes in tissue smears, not crescent bodies.
D: Viscerotropic leishmania - Similar to choice C, Leishmania species do not typically present as crescent bodies in stained specimens.