Cardiovascular pathology

Question 1

What organisms are common in infective endocarditis?

Answer 1

HACEK organisms
H- Haemophilus aphrophilus
A- Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans
C- Cardiobacterium hominis
E- Eikenella corrodens
K- Kingella Kingae

These grow poorly on standard media and are common causes of blood culture (-) infective endocarditis. S epidermidus causes endocarditis with prosthetic valves.

Question 2

What organism causes rheumatic heart disease?

Answer 2

Strep pyogenes

Question 3

Rheumatic heart disease most commonly affects which valves?

Answer 3

Mitral valve is only affected valve in 65-70% of cases.
Mitral and aortic affected in 25% of cases.
Rheumatic heart disease is most common cause of mitral stenosis.

Question 4

What pathologic changes can be seen in the lungs in congestive heart failure?

Answer 4

Intimal thickening of arteries and veins.
Muscularization of arterioles and venules.
Fibrosis of veins are arteries.
Thickening of alveolar walls with type 2 pneumocyte hyperplasia.
Bronchial smooth muscle hypertrophy.
Increased capillary basement membrane thickness.