Diseases of the skin and eye Flashcards
Give 2 infections which cause inflammation of cornea and conjunctiva?
1) Herpes varicella zoster virus - if trigeminal nerve involved can cause blindness
2) Chalmydia
What are the 2 forms of chlamydia which can lead to inflammation of the cornea and chlamydia and how do they differ?
1) Trochoma - tropical disease which infects the cornea and conjunctiva, common cause of blindness
2) Mild disease due to chlamydia types d-k, acquired during birth from infection in the genital tract
Give the 6 causes of cataracts?
1) Senile degeneration
2) Rubella
3) Down’s syndrome
4) Irradiation
5) Diabetes
6) Uveitis
Give 2 microorganisms which can cause retinal infections, how is each transmitted ?
1) Toxoplasma - cat is host and oocyte in faeces
2) Toxocara canis - from infected dog faeces, larva migrate to retina and die causing local inflammation
What are the 2 kinds of retinal infection caused by toxoplasma, how does the prognosis of each differ?
1) Congenital infection which causes severe bilateral disease
2) Acquired causes focal inflammatory disease
Give the 3 types of retinal vascular disease?
1) Ischaemia - for various reasons leading to ischemic damage to retina
2) Hypertensive retinopathy - flame shaped haemorrhages and exudates
3) Diabetic retinopathy - dot and blot haemorrhages and exudates
What are the 2 types of macular degeneration, which is more common?
1) Dry macular degeneration
2) Wet macular degeneration
Dry macular degeneration more common accounting for 90% of cases
What is the cause of dry macular degeneration, can it be treated?
Age related - affects people of 60, have progressive visual impairment. No treatment is available.
What is the cause of wet macular degeneration, can it be treated?
Due to new vessel growth beneath the retina, can be treated with drugs and lasers, drugs inhibit vessel growth and are injected straight into eye
Which 2 tumours can arise within the eye?
1) Retinoblastoma
2) Melanoma - arises from melanocytes of uveal tract
What is the genetics of retinoblastoma?
10% familial, due to deletion of long arm of chromosome 13 - loss of RB gene
How is retinoblastoma treated? 2
1) Enucleation
2) DXT
Where does a melanoma of the eye arise from?
From the melanocytes of the uveal tract - iris, ciliary body, choroid
What are the 2 types of uveal melanoma, how do the prognoses differ?
Based on genetic profiling
Type 1: Good prognosis
Type 2: poor prognosis
How is a uveal melanoma treated? 2
1) Radiotherapy and surgery
Which types of herpes simplex virus causes coldsores and which is an STD?
HSV 1 - coldsores
HSV 2 - STD, causes genital warts
Leprosy is caused by what microorganism?
Mycobacterium leprae
Leprosy is what kind of infection?
Chronic granulomatous infection which can involve nerves leading to loss of sensation
Fish tank granuloma is caused by direct inoculation by what mycobacterium?
Mycobacterium marinum
Which 2 mycobacteria can cause skin infections?
1) Mycobacterium marinum
2) Mycobacterium leprae
What are the 3 clinical stages of eczema (dermatitis), how does each differ?
1) Acute dermatitis - skin red, some exudate, some vesicles
2) Subacute dermatitis - skin is red, less exudate, more itching and crusting
3) Chronic dermatitis - skin is thick and leathery secondary to scratching
What 3 changes do you see on microscopy in eczema?
1) Spongiosis - intercellular oedema within epidermis
2) Chronic inflammation - predominantly superficial dermis
3) Epidermal hyperplasia and hyperkeratosis (worse in chronic)
Atopic eczema tends to present when?
In childhood
Atopic eczema is often associated with what 2 other conditions?
Hayfever and asthma
What is atopic eczema caused by?
A type 1 hypersensitivity reaction to allergen
What are the 2 types of contact dermatitis, how do they differ?
1) Contract irritant dermatitis - direct injury to skin by irritant eg. acid alkali etc.
2) Contact allergic dermatitis - substance acts as haptens which combine with epidermal protein to become immunogenic
What are the 2 types of dermatitis of unknown aetiology?
1) Seborrhoeic dermatitis - affects areas rich in sebaceous glands: scalp, forehead, upper chest
2) Nummular dermatitis - coin shaped lesions
What is psoriasis?
Well define, red oval plaques on extensor surfaces (knees, elbows, sacrum) get a fine silvery scale, remove of scale results in bleeding points
Auspitz sign is related to what skin condition?
Psoriasis
What 2 other conditions/ signs are related to psoriasis?
Sero-negative arthritis
Pitting nails
What is the pathogenic mechanism behind psoriasis?
Massive cell turnover
Which genetic factor has been implicated in psoriasis?
Multiple loci (PSORS) in region of major histocompatibility complex on Chr6p2 implicated - same area involved in other autoimmune disorders