Histo: Lung Pathology Flashcards

1
Q

What type of epithelium lines the airways?

A

Ciliated respiratory epithelium

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2
Q

Which types of cells line the alveoli?

A

Type 1 pneumocytes

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3
Q

What is pulmonary oedema?

A

Accumulation of fluid in the alverolar spaces either due to leaky capillaries or back pressure from a failing left ventricle

This leads to poor gas exchange

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4
Q

List some causes of pulmonary oedema.

A
  • Left heart failure
  • Alveolar injury (e.g. drugs)
  • Neurogenic following head trauma
  • High altitude
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5
Q

What is the main histological feature of pulmonary oedema?

A

Intra-alveolar fluid

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6
Q

List some causes of acute respiratory distress syndrome in adults.

A
  • Infection
  • Aspiration
  • Trauma
  • Inhaled irritant gases
  • Shock
  • DIC
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7
Q

What causes hyaline membrane disease in newborns?

A

Lack of surfactant (mainly in premature babies)

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8
Q

On a cellular level, what insult results in ARDS?

A

Acute damage to the endothelium and/or alveolar epithelium

The basic pathology is the same regardless of cause: diffuse alveolar damage

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9
Q

Describe the appearance of the lungs on post-mortem examination in a patient who died from ARDS.

A
  • Plum-coloured
  • Heavy (>1kg)
  • Airless
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10
Q

Outline the pathophysiology of ARDS.

A
  • Exudative phase - the lungs become congested and leaky
  • Hyaline membranes - form when serum protein that is leaked out of vessels end up lining the alveoli
  • Organising phase - organisation of the exudates to form granulation tissue sitting within the alveolar spaces
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11
Q

What are the outcomes of ARDS?

A
  • Death
  • Superimposed infection
  • Resolution (restoration of normal lung function)
  • Residual fibrosis (leads to chronic respiratory impairment)
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12
Q

Define asthma.

A

Chronic inflammatory airway disorder with recurrent reversible episodes of widespread narrowing of the airways

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13
Q

What is the term used to describe a severe attack of asthma where attacks occur one after the other?

A

Status asthmaticus

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14
Q

List some non-atopic triggers of asthma.

A
  • Air pollution
  • Occupational
  • Exercise
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15
Q

List some acute changes seen in asthma.

A
  • Bronchospasm
  • Oedema
  • Hyperaemia
  • Inflammation
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16
Q

List some chronic changes seen in asthma.

A
  • Muscular hypertrophy
  • Airway narrowing
  • Mucus plugging
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17
Q

Describe the main histological features of asthma.

A
  • Lots of eosinophils and mast cells
  • Goblet cell hyperplasia
  • Mucus plugs within airways
  • Thickening of bronchial smooth muscle and dilatation of blood vessels
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18
Q

Define chronic bronchitis.

A

Chronic cough productive of sputum presents for most days for at least 3 months over 2 consecutive years

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19
Q

List some histological features of chronic bronchitis.

A
  • Diluted airways
  • Mucus gland hyperplasia
  • Goblet cell hyperplasia
  • Mild inflammation
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20
Q

List some complications of chronic bronchitis.

A
  • Recurrent infections
  • Chronic respiratory failure
  • Pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure (cor pulmonale)
  • Increased risk of lung cancer (independent of smoking)
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21
Q

Define emphysema.

A

Permanent loss of alveolar parenchyma distal to the terminal bronchiole

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22
Q

List some causes of alveolar damage that can lead to emphysema.

A
  • Smoking
  • Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
  • Rare: cadmium exposure, IVDU, connective tissue disorder
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23
Q

Describe how the pattern of alveolar damage is different with smoking compared to alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.

A
  • Smoking - centrilobular damage
  • Alpha-1 antritrypsin deficiency - panacinar (throughout the lungs)
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24
Q

List some complications of emphysema.

A
  • Bullae (can rupture to cause pneumothorax)
  • Respiratory failue
  • Pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure
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25
Define bronchiectasis.
* Permanent abnormal dilatation of the bronchi with inflammation and fibrosis extending into adjacent parenchyma
26
Which part of the lungs tends to be affected most frequently in idiopathic bronchiectasis?
Lower lobe
27
List some causes of bronchiectasis.
* Infection (MOST COMMON) * Post-infectious (e.g. CF) * Abnormal host defence (e.g. chemotherapy, immunodeficiency) * Ciliary dyskinesia * Obstruction * Post-inflammatory (aspiration) * Interstitial disease (e.g. sarcoidosis) * Asthma
28
List some complications of bronchiectasis.
* Recurrent infections * Haemoptysis * Pulmonary hypertension and right heart failue * Amyloidosis
29
Where is the CFTR gene found?
7q3
30
What is the most common mutation associated with CF?
Delat F508
31
List some clinical manifestations of CF.
* GI - meconium ileus, malabsorption * Pancreas - pancreatitis * Liver - cirrhosis * Male reproductive system - infertility * Recurrent chest infections
32
List some causes of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia.
* *Streptococcus pneumoniae* * *Haemophilus influenzae* * *Mycoplasma*
33
List some causes of hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia.
Gram negatives (*Klebsiella, Pseudomonas*)
34
Which types of bacteria tend to be implicated in aspiration pneumonia?
Mixture of aerobic and anaerobic
35
What is bronchopneumonia?
* Infection is centred around the airways * Tends to be associated with compromised host defence (mainly the elderly) and is caused by low virulence organisms (e.g. *Staphylococcus*, *Haemophilus*, *Pneumococcus*) * It will show patchy bronchial and peribronchial distribution often involving the lower lobes
36
What is lobar pneumonia?
* Infection is focused in a lobe of the lung * 90-95% caused by *S. pneumoniae* * Widespread fibrinosuppurative consolidation
37
What are the histopathological stages of lobar pneumonia?
* Stage 1: congestion (hyperaemia and intra-alveolar fluid) * Stage 2: red hepatisation (hyperaemia, intra-alveolar neutrophils) * Stage 3: grey hepatisation (intra-alveolar connective tissue) * Stage 4: resolution (restoration of normal tissue architecture)
38
List some complications of pneumonia.
* Abscess formation * Pleural effusion * Empyema * Fibrous scarring * Septicaemia
39
What is a granuloma?
Collection of macrophages and multi-nucleate giant cells
40
Describe the histological appearance of atypical pneumonia.
* Interstitial inflammation (pneumonitis) without accumulation of intra-alveolar inflammatory cells NOTE: causes include *Mycoplasma,* viruses, *Coxiella* and *Chlamydia*
41
What is a long term consequence of repeated small pulmonary emboli?
Pulmonary hypertension
42
List some types of non-thrombotic emboli.
* Bone marrow * Amniotic fluid * Trophoblast * Tumour * Foreign body * Air Fat
43
What are the main types of lung cancer?
* Non-small cell carcinoma * Squamous cell carcinoma (30%) * Adenocarcinoma (30%) * Large cll carcinoma (20%) * Small cell carcinoma (20%)
44
What components of cigarette smoke are responsible for its carcinogenicity?
* Tumour initiators (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) * Tumour promoters (nicotine) * Complete carcinogens (nickel, arsenic)
45
Which types of lung cancer are most strongly associated with smoking?
* Squamous cell carcinoma * Small cell carcinoma
46
Which type of lung cancer tends to occur in non-smokers?
Adenocarcinoma
47
List some risk factors for lung cancer.
* Smoking * Abestos * Radiation * Air pollution * Heavy metals * Susceptibility genes (e.g. nicotine addiction)
48
Describe the sequence of histological changes that results in lung cancer.
Metaplasia → Dysplasia → Carcinoma *in situ* → invasive carcinoma
49
What feautre of squamous epithelium makes it vulnerable to undergoing malignant changes?
* It does not have ciliar leading to a build-up of mucus * Within the mucus carcinogens accumulate
50
Where do squamous cell carcinomas tend to arise?
Centrally - arising from the bronchial epithelium NOTE: there is an increasing incidence of peripheral squmous cell carcinomas (possibly due to deeper inhalation of modern cigarette smoke)
51
Where does adenocarcinoma of the lung tend to arise?
Peripherally - around the terminal airways NOTE: it tends to be multi-centric and extra-thoracic metastases are common and occur early
52
What is the precursor lesion for adenocarcinoma of the lung?
Atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (proliferation of atypical cells lining the alveolar walls)
53
Which mutations are associated with adenocarcinoma in smokers?
* Kras * Issues with DNA methylation * P53
54
Which mutation is associated with adenocarcinoma in non-smokers?
EGFR
55
What is large cell carcinoma of the lung?
* Poorly differentiated tumour composed of large cells * There is no evidence of squamous or glandular differentiation * It has a poor prognosis
56
Where does small cell lung cancer tend to arise?
* Central - around the bronchi NOTE: 80% present with advanced disease and it carries a poor prognosis
57
List some common mutations seen in small cell lung cancer.
P53 RB1
58
What is the difference in the chemosensistivity of small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer?
* Small cell - sensitive * Non-small cell - not very chemosensitive
59
Which molecular changes are important to test for in adenocarcinoma?
* EGFR (responder or resistance) * ALK translocation * Ros1 translocation
60
Why is it important to know the tumour type precisely?
Some treatments can be fatal if the cancer is misdiagnosed E.g. bevacizumab can cause fatal haemorrhage if used for squamous cell carcinoma
61
What is cancer of the pleura?
Mesothelioma