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

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