Cysticercus: From 2 Different Sources
Larval stage of tapeworms belonging to the genus Taenia. Also known as bladderworms. The cysticercus of the Pork Tapeworm is called Cysticercus cellulosae and is the cause of human cysticercosis.
(bladderworm) n. a larval stage of some *tapeworms in which the scolex and neck are invaginated into a large fluid-filled cyst. The cysts develop in the muscles or brain of the host following ingestion of tapeworm eggs. See cysticercosis.
n. see cysticercus.... bladderworm
n. a disease caused by the presence of tapeworm larvae (see cysticercus) of the species *Taenia solium in any of the body tissues. Humans become infected on ingesting tapeworm eggs in contaminated food or drink. The presence of cysticerci in the muscles causes pain and weakness; in the brain the symptoms are more serious, including mental deterioration, paralysis, giddiness, epileptic attacks, and convulsions, which may be fatal. There is no specific treatment for this cosmopolitan disease although surgical removal of cysticerci may be necessary to relieve pressure on the brain.... cysticercosis
(hexacanth) n. the six-hooked larva of a *tapeworm. If ingested by a suitable intermediate host, such as a pig or an ox, the larva will use its hooks to penetrate the wall of the intestine. The larva subsequently migrates to the muscles, where it develops into a *cysticercus.... oncosphere
n. a larval stage of certain tapeworms, such as *Diphyllobothrium latum. It differs from the *cysticercus (another larval form) in being solid and in lacking a cyst or bladder.... plerocercoid
n. a genus of large tapeworms, some of which are parasites of the human intestine. The 4–10 m long beef tapeworm, T. saginata, is the commonest tapeworm parasite of humans. Its larval stage (see cysticercus) develops within the muscles of cattle and other ruminants, and people become infected on eating raw or undercooked beef. T. solium, the pork tapeworm, is 2–7 m long. Its larval stage may develop not only in pigs but also in humans, in whom it may cause serious disease (see cysticercosis). See also taeniasis.... taenia
(cestode) n. any of a group of flatworms that have a long thin ribbon-like body and live as parasites in the intestines of humans and other vertebrates. The body of a tapeworm consists of a head (scolex), a short neck, and a strobila made up of a chain of separate segments (proglottides). Mature proglottides, full of eggs, are released from the free end of the worm and pass out in the host’s stools. Eggs are then ingested by an intermediate host, in whose tissues the larval stages develop (see plerocercoid; cysticercus; hydatid). Humans are the primary hosts for some tapeworms (see Taenia; Hymenolepis). However, other genera are also medically important (see Diphyllobothrium; Dipylidium; Echinococcus).... tapeworm
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