Geriatric Pathology Flashcards
5 reasons why cells and animals age
- Mutations decrease cell viability
- Genetically programmed longevity genes
- Long term oxygen free radicals
- Loss of telomeres
- Environmental exposures
What is valvular endocardiosis?
- smooth, nodular, degenerative, mucinous and fibrotic thickening in heart valves
- the main cause of heart failure in old dogs and cats
-shortened valve leaflets and roughening of the atrial endocardium due to valvular insufficiency and damaged endothelium from regurgitation (jet lesions)
Compare and contrast endocardiosis vs endocarditis.
Endocardiosis: smooth, shortened, nodular valve leaflets.
Endocarditis: (inflammation). Fibrin, clotted blood, inflammatory cells attached to valve surface from bacterial infection. Roughened valves.
What disease is characterized by ulceration, thinning of joint cartilage, thickened joint capsule and osteophyte.
Degenerative joint disease
What are multiple proliferations of new bone that occur during DJD called?
Osteophytes
What is one of the main causes of death in older dogs and cats? (Hint: involves the kidney)
Renal fibrosis (scarring) appear as depressions in capsular surface w/ loss of normal tissue beneath.
What are 3 “normal” aging changes?
- Atrophy of various organs, tissues, muscle
- leukotrichia (gray hair)
- nodular hyperplasia
True or false? Most nodular hyperplasias are nonfunctional.
True. Nonfunctional (liver, spleen, pancreas, etc.).
Functional would be thyroid glands.
In cats, thyroid hyperplasia is often ________, whereas in dogs and horses they usually are ___________.
Cats: functional
Dogs and horses: nonfunctional
Is cystic mucinous hyperplasia of the gall bladder wall an incidental finding?
Yes. The cysts are mucus filled, some bile stained. If extensive, the can obstruct bile outflow and cause a mucocele.
What are siderotic plaques made of?
Composed of hemosiderin, calcium deposits, and fibrous CT
Incidental due to iron storage. If there’s no nodules on spleen, leave it!
