Study for the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) I. Engage with flashcards and multiple-choice questions with detailed feedback. Prepare confidently!

Multiple Choice

Strawberry cervix is grossly associated with infection by which organism?

Strawberry cervix is a classic sign of infection with Trichomonas vaginalis. The inflammation from the parasite irritates the cervical mucosa, causing capillary bleeding that produces those red, pinpoint “strawberry-like” spots. This cervicitis is often accompanied by frothy, yellow-green discharge and itching. Candida albicans typically presents with thick, white, cottage-cheese–like discharge and vulvar itching rather than the strawberry cervix. Gardnerella vaginalis is linked to bacterial vaginosis, usually with thin gray discharge and a fishy odor, and clue cells on microscopy rather than the strawberry-tinged cervix. Neisseria gonorrhoeae causes cervicitis with purulent discharge and may lead to PID, but the cherry-red, strawberry-like cervical appearance is not the hallmark feature. So, the infection most closely associated with strawberry cervix is Trichomonas vaginalis.

Strawberry cervix is a classic sign of infection with Trichomonas vaginalis. The inflammation from the parasite irritates the cervical mucosa, causing capillary bleeding that produces those red, pinpoint “strawberry-like” spots. This cervicitis is often accompanied by frothy, yellow-green discharge and itching.

Candida albicans typically presents with thick, white, cottage-cheese–like discharge and vulvar itching rather than the strawberry cervix. Gardnerella vaginalis is linked to bacterial vaginosis, usually with thin gray discharge and a fishy odor, and clue cells on microscopy rather than the strawberry-tinged cervix. Neisseria gonorrhoeae causes cervicitis with purulent discharge and may lead to PID, but the cherry-red, strawberry-like cervical appearance is not the hallmark feature.

So, the infection most closely associated with strawberry cervix is Trichomonas vaginalis.