Describing gross and histopathological respiratory lesions Flashcards
Give examples of words you would use to describe the shape of a gross lesion?
Linear Irregular Round Multinodular Depressed Raised
What do the following colours of gross organs indicate?
- Red
- Black
- Yellow
- White
- Brown
- Haemorrhage
- Melanin, putrefactive bacteria
- Fat, bile, fibrin, exudate
- Exudate, neoplasia, inflammation
- Hemosiderin
What is the 7 point plan for describing a histo slide?
- Organ
- Location
- Distribution
- Cells
- Numbers
- Damage
- Agents
Give examples of elements that could have been added to a tissue and will be seen histologically
- inflammatory cells
- haemorrhage
- oedema
- exudate
- tumour cells
- swelling
- foreign body
Give examples of tissue loss and how it would be seen histologically
- Atrophy
- Necrosis
- Atelectasis
- Degeneration
Which cells would be seen in the acute phase of an inflammatory disease?
Neutrophils
RBCs
Which cells would be seen in the sub-acute phase of an inflammatory disease?
Lymphocytes
Plasma cells
Occasionally eosinophils
Which cells would be seen in the chronic phase of an inflammatory disease?
Macrophages
Giant cells
Fibroblasts
Describe how you would identify the following cells:
- Macrophage
- Plasma cell
- Lymphocyte
- Purple staining, vacuolated, large
- Purple staining, pale area seen north-east of the nucleus
- Little cytoplasm, dark purple nuclei
Describe how you would identify the following cells:
- Neutrophil
- Fibroblast
- Eosinophil
- Segmented nucleus, pale staining cytoplasm
- Not an inflammatory cells but for repair, flattened, pink staining nucleus
- pink granular cytoplasm with purple staining nucleus
How would you describe damaged tissue on a histology slide?
- Necrosis will lead to degeneration, fragmentation and release of protein rich cytoplasmic debris
- Dead cells are irregular and hard to identify
How does protein appear histologically, what does the depth of staining indicate?
Pink (eosinophilic)
- the depth of pink staining reflects the amount i.e. oedema is lightly eosinophilic but fibrin dark pink.
Strands or mesh like appearance indicates?
Fibrin
Which aetiological agents may be possible to identify histologically?
Bacteria (clumps of fine basophilic granules), fungi, helminths + protozoa are sometimes identifiable
How would you go about describing a tumour histologically?
- Location
- Boundaries
- Malignant or benign?
- Structures formed and types of cells forming them
- Variation in tumour cell and nuclear size
- mitotic figures
What is often visible around malignant tumours?
Often create damage with surrounding tissue necrosis + haemorrhage so can get some inflammatory cells.
What histological features are normal to see in the upper respiratory tract?
- Ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium
- Connective tissue
- Supporting cartilage
- Blood vessels
- Fibrous tissue
Which parts of the respiratory system make up the URT?
- nasal cavity
- turbinates
- guttural pouch
- larynx
- trachea
- up to the secondary bronchi
What histological features are normal to see in the lung?
- alveolar air spaces
- fine, alveolar epithelial network
- bronchi, bronchioles
- blood vessels
- odd alveolar macrophage
How does the histology of a bronchus and bronchioles differ?
Bronchus: - Cartilage support - Columnar to cuboidal - Large diameter Bronchiole: - No cartilage - A lot less cilia - more vulnerable to infection
How does the appearance of type I and type II pneumocytes differ histologically?
Type I = very flattened
Type II = Cuboidal
How will additions change the overall consistency of the lung?
It will feel more dense as there is more material present
Describe the shape of fibroblasts
- Spindle shaped
- Flattened
- Elongated
Thin type 1 epithelium alveolar wall loss is indicative of?
Emphysema
In an airway ciliated columnar epithelium loss is indicative of?
Ulceration
How can you differentiate exudate vs oedema?
Eosinophilic material – highly variable colour depending on protein concentration
- Exudate has a higher conc of protein so is a darker pink
- Oedema is a very pale pink
