Chronic inflammation

Question 1

What is the definition of chronic inflammation?

Answer 1

Persisting tissue damage and ongoing acute inflammation, or de novo

Question 2

Which cell infiltrate is commonly associated with chronic inflammation?

Answer 2

• lymphocytes
• macrophages
• plasma cells

Question 3

What is granulomatous inflammation?

Answer 3

the presence of granulomas, collections of epithelioid macrophages and multinucleate giant cells

Delayed hypersensitivity reaction

Question 4

What are subtypes of granulomatous inflammation?

Answer 4

• necrotising
• non-necrotising
• foreign body

Question 5

What chemical mediator is commonly associated with the development of granulomas?

Answer 5

interferon gamma

Question 6

Describe the pathophysiology of granuloma formation

Answer 6

• T cells go to the site of inflammation
• interferon gamma is released -> changes the appearance of the macrophage into a larger macrophage (epithelioid macrophage).

These macrophages aggregate together, usually around the infectious organisms

Question 7

What is a necrotising granuloma

Answer 7

when you have a collection of epithelioid macrophages with necrosis in the centre

N.B typical of TB unless proven otherwise.

Question 8

What conditions are associated with non-necrotising granulomas?

Answer 8

• sarcoidosis

- crohn’s disease

Question 9

Describe the appearance of an eosinophil

Answer 9

• bi-lobe nucleus

- eosinophilic granules within the cytoplasm

Question 10

Describe the appearance of a plasma cell

Answer 10

• clock face nucleus
• perinuclear hough
• purplish cytoplasm

Question 11

Describe the appearance of a macrophage

Answer 11

• footprint nucleus

Question 12

Define primary intention

Answer 12

Edges are able to be brought together to heal

- e.g. simple incision

Question 13

Define secondary intention

Answer 13

Edges are not able to be brought together

- e.g. dirty, infected wound that has needed to be cut away