Environmental Pathology Flashcards
What is the largest preventable cause of death in the US?
Cigarette smoking
Three major causes of death in smokers (in order of frequency)
Coronary Heart Disease, Cancers of the lung, COPD
Buerger disease
Vasculitis seen in smokers which can lead to peripheral gangrene
What disease which causes exophthalmus is commonly seen in smokers?
Graves Disease
Why does smoking cause early onset of menopause?
Because it interferes with normal estrogen metabolism
What is the largest risk factor in SIDS?
Maternal smoking during pregnancy
Three phases of alcoholic liver disease
1) Reversible fatty liver (minimal functional impairment), 2) Alcoholic hepatitis (inflammation and necrosis), 3) Cirrhosis (irreversible fibrosis)
What heart condition is commonly seen in alcoholism?
Dilated cardiomyopathy, which leads to CHF
Where in the brain is necrosis commonly observed in alcoholism?
Diencephalon and brain stem (especially mamillary bodies and regions around the third ventricle), also cerebellum
Features of fetal alcohol syndrome
Growth retardation, microcephaly, dysmorphic facial features, MR, others
Major classes of drugs of abuse
Opium derivitives, depressants, stimulants, inhalants
Heroin nephropathy
Glomerulosclerosis from immune complex formation in response to impurities in injected heroin
Injected talc is associated with formation of what?
Foreign body granulomas (may lead to interstitial pulmonary fibrosis), also can cause pulmonary vessel thrombosis with secondary pulmonary hypertension and right-sided heart enlargement
Why do synthetic estrogens increase the risk of thromboembolic disease?
Because they increase hepatic synthesis of several coagulation proteins
How can oral contraceptives cause depression and behavioral changes?
By increasing trytophan metabolism, which decreases serum trytophan and serotonin levels
