A 31-Year-Old Man Is Brought to the Emergency Department After

question 253

Multiple Choice

A 31-year-old man is brought to the emergency department after a tonic-clonic seizure.  The patient has no known medical conditions.  He grew up in a rural part of Guatemala and immigrated to the United States 3 years ago.  The patient works as an architect and owns a cat.  He has no history of tuberculosis.  On examination, the patient is afebrile and has no focal neurologic deficits or meningeal signs.  HIV antibody test and interferon-gamma release assay are negative.  Chest x-ray is normal.  MRI of the head reveals a 1.5-cm cyst within the left sylvian fissure that has minimal enhancement and no associated edema.  Which of the following is the most likely means of acquisition of the infection responsible for this patient's findings?

• A)Absorption through the skin of the feet
• B)Exposure to infected stool
• C)Handling of a cat litter box
• D)Inhalation of fungal spores
• E)Scratch from a cat
• F)Sexual transmission

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Definitions:

Cell Membrane

The lipid bilayer that encloses a cell, controlling the passage of substances in and out, thus maintaining the cell's integrity and environment.

Protein Molecules

Large, complex molecules that play many critical roles in the body, made up of chains of amino acids.

Large Protein Anions

Molecules consisting of large proteins that carry a negative charge.

Neuron

A specialized cell in the nervous system that transmits information through electrical and chemical signals, serving as the basic building block of the brain and nervous system.