Abnormal Cellular Accumulations Flashcards
What is hydropic swelling?
Fluid accumulation in cells
When does hydropic swelling occur?
Energy supplies to cells cut off
Indicates severe cellular distress
Na+ and water flood into cell
What is steatosis?
Accumulation of triglycerides in cells
Often seen in liver
What are causes of steatosis?
Alcohol
Diabetes mellitus
Obesity
Toxins
Why does cholesterol accumulate?
Insoluble
Cannot be broken down
Eliminated only through liver
Where does cholesterol accumulate?
Smooth muscle cells + macrophages
- foam cells
Skin + tendons in people with hereditary hyperlipidaemias
- xanthomas
What conditions do proteins accumulate?
Alcoholic liver diesease
- mallory’s hyaline (damaged keratin filaments)
α1-antitrypsin deficiency
- liver produces incorrectly folded α1-antitrypsin
- accumulates in ER
What is haemosiderin?
Iron storage molecule
Derived from haemoglobin
Produced when there is a systemic or local iron excess
- e.g bruise
What is haemosiderosis?
Systemic overload of iron where haemosiderin is deposited in many organs
Seen in
- haemolytic anaemias
- blood transfusion
- hereditary haemochromatosis
What is hereditary haemochromatosis?
Increased intestinal absorption of dietary iron
Iron deposited in
- skin
- liver
- pancreas
Symptoms
- liver damage
- pancreas failure
Treatment
- repeated bleeding
What is calcification of tissues?
Abnormal deposition of calcium salts within tissues
What is dystrophic calcifiction?
Localised calcification
Occurs in an area of dying tissue
No abnormality in calcium metabolism
Local change favours nucleation of hydroxyapatite crystals
What is metastatic calcification?
Due to hypercalcaemia - secondary to disturbances in calcium metabolism
Hydroxyapatite crystals are deposited in normal tissues
What causes hypercalcaemia?
Increased PTH secretion
- primary = parathyroid hyperplasia or tumour
- secondary - renal failure + phosphate retention
- ectopic - secretion of PTH-related protein by tumours
Destruction of bone tissue
- primary bone marrow tumours
- Paget’s disease of bone
- immobilisation
