American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Certification Practice Exam

What does a wet mount revealing numerous leukocytes with motile organisms suggest?

1. Bacterial vaginosis

2. Trichomonas

3. Candidiasis

4. Chlamydia

The correct answer is: Trichomonas

The presence of numerous leukocytes along with motile organisms in a wet mount is indicative of an infection caused by trichomonas. In this context, trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis, which characteristically leads to increased discharge and inflammation. When examining a wet mount, leukocytes suggest an inflammatory response, typically seen in infections. The motile organisms observed in conjunction with the leukocytes specifically point toward trichomonas, which exhibits a distinct motility that can be visualized under a microscope. In this scenario, other potential conditions like bacterial vaginosis, candidiasis, and chlamydia present with different characteristics. Bacterial vaginosis may show an increased number of bacterial cells but lacks the motile protozoa, while candidiasis generally presents with yeast forms and does not produce motile organisms. Chlamydia may lead to leukocytosis but is not directly visible as motile organisms on a wet mount. Therefore, the combination of numerous leukocytes with motile organisms accurately aligns with the diagnosis of trichomoniasis, confirming the correctness of this choice.