ICS Pathology Flashcards
What are the two categories of autopsy?
Hospital and Medico-legal
What are hospital autopsies used for?
Teaching, audit, research
Which type of autopsy is most common?
Medico-legal autopsies= over 90% of UK autopsies
What are the two types of medico-legal autopsy?
Coronial autopsies (where death is not due to unlawful action), and forensic autopsies (where death is thought to be unlawful)
What are the 4 questions to answer during a coronial autopsy?
- Who is the deceased?
- When did they die?
- Where did they die?
- What brought about their death?
What are the three categories for when deaths are referred to the coroner?
- Presumed natural but death is unknown and patient hasn’t seen doctor in 14 days prior
- Presumed iatrogenic such as peri/postoperative death, anesthetic deaths, complications of therapy etc
- Presumed unnatural such as accidents, suicide, unlawful killing, neglect, custody death etc
What do histopathologists do?
Perform hospital autopsies and some coronial autopsies including natural deaths, suicide, accidents, road traffic deaths, peri/post-operative deaths
What do forensic pathologists do?
Perform autopsies where the death could be due to the action of a third party such as homicide, death in custody or neglect
What are the parts of the coroners rules of 1984?
- Autopsy as soon as possible
- By a pathologist of suitable qualification
- Report findings promptly and only to coroner
- Autopsy only on appropriate premises
What are the rules of the coroners act of 1988?
- Allows coroner to order an autopsy where death is likely due to natural causes to obliviate need for inquest.
- Allows coroner to order an autopsy where death is clearly unnatural and inquest will be needed
What are the rules of the coronial legislation of 2005?
Pathologist must tell coroner precisely what material have been retained, coroner authorizes retention and sets disposal date. Coroner must inform family of retention. The family then has choices either to return material, retain for research/teaching or to respectfully dispose of.
What are the rules of the coroners and justice act of 2009?
Coroner can now defer opening the inquest and instead launch an investigation
What can be used to identify a body?
Formal identifies, body habitus, jewelry, body modification or clothing
What is inflammation?
A local physiological response to tissue injury that is either acute or chronic
List some benefits of inflammation
Destruction of invading microorganisms and walling off an abscess cavity to prevent the spread of infection
List some negatives of inflammation
Disease will compress surounding structures, Fibrosis may distort the surrounding tissues, digestion of normal tissues, swelling in dangerous places, inappropriate inflammatory responses
Give an example of acute inflammation?
Acute appendicitis
What are the 4 stages of acute inflammation?
- Changes in vessel calibre
- Fluid exudate
- Cellular exudate
- Chemotaxis
What is cellular exudate?
An accumulation of neutrophil polymorphs in the extracellular space
What causes the fluid exudate in acute inflammation?
- Sphincters in arteriolar walls relax thereby increasing blood flow into capillaries
- Capillary hydrostatic pressure is increased and there is escape of plasma proteins, increasing osmotic pressure in extravascular space
- Therefore more fluid leaves the vessels = fluid exudate
What are the 4 steps of neutrophil extravasation?
- Margination of neutrophils
- Pavementing of neutrophils
- Pass between endothelial cells
- Pass through basal lamina and migrate into adventitia
What is neutrophil extravasation?
The leakage of neutrophils from capillaries into the surrounding tissues during acute inflammation
What is neutrophil margination?
When neutrophils begin to flow at the peripheral zone of capillaries, near the endothelium, due to a loss of intravascular fluid and increase in plasma viscosity with slowing of flow at site of inflammation
What is pavementing of neutrophils?
At the site of acute inflammation, neutrophils begin to adhere to endothelium of venules due to its “sticky” wall
What is diapedesis?
When erythrocytes escape through the vessel walls passively during acute inflammation
What does large numbers of RBC in the extracellular space during inflammation imply?
Severe vascular injury
List some chemical mediators during acute inflammation
Histamine and Thrombin
What cells release histamine?
Mast cells, and basophil&eosinophil leucocytes
What are some effects of histamine?
Contraction of smooth muscle in the lungs, uterus and stomach, dilation of blood vessels thus lowering of blood pressure, gastric acid secretion etc.
What are the 4 enzymatic cascade systems in plasma?
Complement system
Kinin System
Coagulation factors
Fibrinolytic system
What is the purpose of the complement system?
To remove or destroy antigens either by lysis or oponization
What can activate the complement system?
Enzymes released from dying cells, endotoxins of bacterias etc.
What chemical mediators are secreted by tissue macrophages?
Interleukin-1 and TNF-alpha
Why do lymphatic channels become dilated in acute inflammation?
They drain away oedematous fluid of the inflammatory exudate
What is opsonization?
Making microorganisms more amenable to phagocytosis by either immunoglobulins of complement components
What are phagolysosomes?
When a particle is ingested by a phagocyte into a phagosome, which then fuses with a lysosome
What are the steps of phagocytosis?
- Neutrophil ingests bacterium
- Bacterium lies within a phagosome
- Lysosome fuses with phagosome (phagolysosome), and digests the bacterium
- Bacterial debris is released
List some causes of acute inflammation
- Microbial infection
- Hypersensitivity reaction
- Physical agents
- Tissue Necrosis
How does tissue necrosis cause acute inflammation?
Peptides are released from the dead tissues which trigger inflammation
What are the 5 signs of acute inflammation?
Tumor (Swelling), Rubor (Redness), Calor (Heat), Dolor (Pain), loss of function
What causes swelling in acute inflammation?
Oedema, and formation of new connective tissue
What causes redness in acute inflammation?
Dilation of small blood vessels
What causes heat in acute inflammation?
Increased blood flow (Hyperaemia) and systemic fever
What causes pain in acute inflammation?
Stretching and distribution of the tissues to inflammatory oedema. Some chemical mediators also induce pain
What are the possible outcomes of acute inflammation?
- Resolution
- Suppuration
- Organisation
- Progression to chronic inflammation
What conditions favor resolution?
Minimal cell death and damage, in tissues capable of regeneration, rapid destruction of causal agent
What is suppuration?
Formation of pus
What conditions favour suppuration?
Persistant causative stimulus, and normally an infective agent, usually pyogenic bacteria
What is organisation?
When tissue is replaced with granulation tissue as part of the healing process - healing by fibrosis where there is substantial damage to connective tissue framework with excessive necrosis
When will acute inflammation progress onto chronic inflammation?
If the causative agent is not removed
What is pyrexia and how does it happen?
Fever= Neutrophils and macrophages produce endogenous pyrogens which act on the hypothalamus to set the thermoregulatory mechanisms at a higher temperature
List some systemic effects of inflammation
Pyrexia, malaise, anorexia, nausea, splenomegaly, weight loss, lymph node enlargement, anaemia
What is primary chronic inflammation?
Where there is no initial phase of acute inflammation
What are the histological features of chronic inflammation?
Cellular infiltrate consisting of lymphocytes, plasma cells and macrophages
Name an example of chronic inflammation
Tuberculosis
What is resolution?
Healing where the initiating factor is removed. Generally one single large injury such as a single fracture, liver damage through paracetamol overdose etc which is then left to repair. Can fully repair if in a cell population which can do so.
What is repair?
Healing where the initiating factor is still present. Generally a recurring injury/ disease such as fracture that it frequently moved, liver damage through recurrent alcohol intake etc. Won’t fully repair as there will be scar tissue
What is the role of B lymphocytes?
Production of antibodies
What is the role of T lymphocytes?
Cell-mediated immunity
What is a granuloma?
An aggregate of epithelioid histocytes- Part of type IV hypersensitivity
List some systemic granulomatosis diseases
TB, Sarcoidosis, Crohn’s disease, Leprosy, Schistosomiasis
How can you identify tuberculosis?
Use ziehl-neelsen stain, will get a bright red result if TB
What are the histological features of epithelioid histocytes?
Large vesticular nuclei
Plentiful eosinophilic cytoplasm
Elongated
Arranged in clusters
What are langerhans giant cells?
Giant cells with a horseshoe arrangement of peripheral nuclei at one pole. It is characteristically seen in TB.
What are foreign body giant cells?
Large cells with nuclei randomly scattered throughout their cytoplasm
What are touton giant cells?
Large cells with a central ring of nuclei, peripheral to which there is lipid material
What cells are involved in acute inflammation?
Neutrophils and macrophages
What cells are involved in chronic inflammation?
Lymphocytes, macrophages and plasma cells
What are labile cells?
Cells with a good capacity to regenerate e.g. epithelial cells
What are stable cell populations?
Cells that divide at a very slow rate normally, and still retain their capacity to divide when necessary. E.g. hepatocytes
What are permanent cells?
Cells with no effective regeneration
How does organisation occur?
Granulation tissue is formed in the early stages, which then contracts and gradually accumulates collagen. Granulation tissue is the combination of capillary loops and myofibroblasts. The organized area is firmer than normal
How do abrasions heal?
Scab forms over surface
Epidermis grows out from adnexa, protected by scam
Leads to a thin confluent epidermis
Final epidermal regrowth leading back to normal skin
What is healing by first intension?
- Fibrin deposited locally will weakly bind the two sides of the wound
- Coagulated blood on the surface will form a scab
- Capillaries then proliferate sufficiently to bridge the gap, and fibroblasts secrete collagen as they migrate into the fibrin network to form a strong collagen join
When can healing by first intension occur?
If there is a small incision with little damage to tissue either side of the cut.
What is healing by second intension?
- When there is tissue loss so the wound margins are not apposed.
- There is first phagocytosis to remove any debris
- Granulation tissue to fill in defects and repair specialised tissue lost
- There is finally epithelial regeneration to cover the surface
List some cells that can regenerate
Hepatocytes, Pneumocytes, all blood cells, epithelia, osteocytes
What cells cannot regenerate?
Myocardial cells, neurones
How is local inflammation due to injury (e.g. banging the ankle) treated?
RICE
Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation
How are bites treated?
Antihistamines, NSAIDs
How are chronic rashes treated?
Steroid creams
How do steroid creams work?
They bind to DNA and up regulate inhibitors of inflammation and down regulates chemical mediators of inflammation
What is an abscess?
A localized collection of inflammatory cells with a fibrotic wall
List two ways of investigating inflammation
- Localised aspiration
- Blood cultures
What is a thrombus?
The solidification of blood contents that forms within the vascular system during life
What are the three components of Virchow’s triad?
- Stasis of blood flow
- Endothelial injury
- Hypercoagulability
What is Virchow’s triad?
3 elements that predispose to thrombosis
What mechanisms prevent thrombus formation?
- Laminar flow (where cells travel in the centre of arterial vessels and don’t touch the sides)
- Endothelial cells which line vessels are not “sticky” when healthy
What are contained within alpha granules of platelets?
Platelet adhesion molecules such as fibrinogen, fibronectin and platelet growth factor
What are contained within the dense granules of platelets?
Adenosine diphosphate that cause platelets to aggregate
What is platelet aggregation?
Platelets release chemicals which cause other platelets to stick, and starts the cascade of clotting proteins
What is the process of arterial thrombosis formation?
- A fatty streak forms, which protrudes into the lumen causing turbulence in blood flow
- This turbulence eventually results in the loss of intimal cells and the exposed plaque surface is presented to the blood cells
- This results in fibrin deposition and platelet clumping due to exposed collagen
- This process may be self perpetuating, causing thrombi to grow
- This disrupts laminar flow
What is a fatty streak?
An early atheromatous plaque which is a slightly raised area on the luminal surface of an artery
What does arterial thrombus result in?
- Loss of pulse distal to thrombus
- Area becomes cold, painful and pale
- Eventually tissue dies and gangrene results
Does atheroma normally occur in arteries or veins?
Arteries, as veins are low pressure
How do venous thrombi normally occur?
Normally due to stasis
- At valves are there is a natural degree of turbulence here
- Or if blood pressure falls during surgery or following a MI
Where do venous thrombi normally occur?
95% occur in leg veins
What does a venous thrombus result in?
- Area becomes tender and causes general ischaemic pain
- Area becomes reddened
- Area becomes swollen
What are arterial thrombosis made up of?
Blood clot- Many platelets (White thrombus)
What are venous thrombosis made up of?
Blood clot- Mainly coagulation factors (Red thrombus)
What can arterial thrombosis lead to?
MI/Stroke
What can venous thrombosis lead to?
Deep vein thrombosis/ Pulmonary embolism
What is the treatment for arterial thrombosis?
Anti-platelets e.g. aspirin, clopidogerel
What is the treatment for venous thrombosis?
Anti-coagulants e.g. warfarin, heparin, NOACs
What is the commonest cause of arterial thrombosis?
Most commonly due to atheroma
What is the commonest cause of venous thrombosis?
Stasis- slowing of blood flow in veins
What is an embolus?
A mass of material in the vascular system able to lodge in a vessel and block its lumen
What things can cause an embolus?
Thrombus, air, cholesterol crystals from plaques, tumour amniotic fluid, fat after severe trauma etc.
Where will a venous embolism occur?
It will travel to the vena cava, then lodge somewhere in the pulmonary arteries causing a pulmonary embolism
What will be the outcome of a pulmonary embolism?
Small embolism= May be lysed in lung or remain unnoticed
Large embolism= Acute respiratory and cardiac problems (chest pain, shortness of breath)
Massive embolism= Sudden death
Where do arterial emboli normally occur?
Either from the heart on areas of damaged cardiac muscle, or from an atheromatous plaque
What is ischaemia?
A reduction in blood flow to a tissue or part of the body caused by constriction or blockage of the blood vessels supplying it
What is infarction?
The necrosis of part or whole of an organ that occurs when the artery supplying it becomes obstructed
Why are the liver, lung and brain less susceptible to infarction?
Dual blood supply
What is reperfusion injury?
When blood flow returns to an ischaemic area, there is removal of dead cells and activation of oxygen-dependent free radical systems. There are also intrinsic oxygen free radicals brought by WBC, resulting in more damage.
What is gangrene?
When areas of a limb or a region of the gut have their arterial supply cut off, and large areas of mixed tissue die in bulk
What is wet gangrene?
Where bacterial infection supervenes as a secondary complication and patient becomes septic
What is disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)?
Where there is minute thrombi and bleeding at multiple sites due to the consumption of clotting factors
What are causes of ischaemia?
Thrombi Spasms in smooth muscle in the vessel wall External compression of veins Hyperviscosity of blood Vasculitis
What is atherosclerosis?
An accumulation of lipid, macrophages and smooth muscle cells in intimal plaques in arteries
Do plaques occur in mainly high or low pressure systems?
Only occurs in high pressure systems
What can occlusive atheroma cause?
Cerebral infarction MI Aortic aneurysm Peripheral vascular disease Gangrene
What are the five types of arteries where atherosclerosis occurs?
Aorta (Normally descending) Cerebral arteries Common iliac arteries/ Femoral arteries Coronary arteries Carotid
What are the contents of a plaque?
Fibrous tissue cap with macrophages and lymphocytes
Central lipid core
Smooth muscle cells, cell debris, calcium, connective tissues, foam cells
What are foam cells?
Macrophages that have phagocytosed oxidised lipoproteins = appear foamy. Often at the border of a thrombogenic lesion
What are the risk factors for plaque formation?
- Hypercholesterolaemia
- Hyperlipidaemia
- Hypertension
- Smoking
- Poorly controlled diabetes
- Male gender
- Increasing age
- Social deprivation
How do atherosclerotic plaques form?
- Endothelial cell dysfunction
- High levels of LDL in the blood begin to accumulate
- Macrophages are attracted to the site of damage and take up lipid to form foam cells
- Formation of a fatty streak
- The activated macrophages release their own products- cytokines and growth factors
- Smooth muscle proliferation around the lipid core and formation of a fibrous cap
What things can damage endothelial cells?
- High cholesterol
- Smoking
- Hypertension
- Poorly controlled diabetes
How can someone prevent atherosclerosis?
Smoking cessation Control of blood pressure Weight reduction Low dose aspirin Statins
How does aspirin prevent thrombosis and atherosclerosis?
Inhibits platelet aggregation
What is the difference between atherosclerotic plaque and thrombi?
- Plaques= mainly lipid, macrophages, cholesterol etc
- Thrombi= Blood clot
What is an aneurysm?
A localised permanent dilation of part of the vascular tree
What is an aortic dissection?
Where blood is forced through a tear in the aortic intima to create a blood-filled space in the media
What is a berry aneurysm?
An aneurysm in the circle of willis causing a subarachnoid haemorrhage
What is a TIA?
A stroke that lasts for less than 24 hrs and is associated with complete clinical recovery
What is the normal cause of a intracerebral haemorrhage?
A rupture of the middle cerebral artery
What is the normal cause of a subarachnoid haemorrhage?
A rupture of a saccular aneurysm of the circle of willis
Define hypertrophy
An increase in size of organ or tissue due to an increase in the size of the cells
Give an example of hypertrophy
Example-Increase in skeletal muscle mass during exercise
Define hyperplasia
An increase in the size of an organ or tissue due to an increase in the number of cells