Inflammation and Repair Flashcards
What is an Abscess?
A painful collection of pjs, usually caused by a bacterial infection
How does an Abscess occur?
When the puss is localized to a cavity (caused by tissue destruction) and it may become “walled off”
What is Purulent/Suppurative Inflammation?
Inflammation caused by pjs producing (pyogenic) bacteria such as Staphylococcus
What type of necrosis can Staphylococcus cause?
Liquefactive tissue necrosis
What are common sites for abscesses?
- skin (groin, axilla, perianal)
- mouth (teeth)
- GI: around gut
- lung
Why can it be difficult for antibiotics to gain access to an abscess?
Because the inflammation in an abscess is walled off from the surrounding tissues and there are no blood vessels in the pus/fill/necrotic centre
What is the usual treatment for skin abscesses?
Incision and drainage
How are deeper abscesses treated?
Surgery
What is Fibrinous Inflammation?
When vascular permeability is greatly increased, larger molecules such as fibrinogen can pass through the inter endothelial spaces, causing a building up of fibrin
Where can fibrinous exudates occur?
- pleural space
- pericardial space
- meninges
How can Fibrinous Pericarditis occur?
- due to an exaggerated immune response following myocardial infarction or cardiac surgery
- if a patient has uraemia or autoimmune disease such as SLE
What areas can Serious Inflammation affect? (4)
- pericardium
- pleura
- peritoneum
- spaces created by cell injury
How does serious inflammation occur?
From exudation of “cell poor” fluid
What is Effusion?
When serious inflammation occurs in the pleura/pericardium
What is Ascites?
When serious inflammation occurs in the peritoneum
What is a Bulla/Blister?
When serious inflammation occurs in the skin
What are Ulcers?
Local defects that occur on mucosal surfaces creating a breach/hole in the mucosa
Where are typical sites for Ulcers to occur?
- skin
- oral mucosa
- GI tract
What is Erosion?
Similar to ulcers, but do not go the whole way through the muscosa
What are the outcomes of acute inflammation?
- Compete resolution
- Healing by connective tissue replacement (scarring, fibrosis)
- Progression to chronic inflammation
What is Chronic Inflammation?
Inflammation that has been present for weeks or months. Usually accompanied by attempts at tissue repair
What are potential causes of chronic inflammation?
persistent infection/injury
- tuberculosis
Hypersensitivity
- Rheumatoid arthritis, Asthma
Chronic exposure to toxins
- silicosis, atherosclerosis
What is Silicosis?
An inflammatory disease caused by silica inhalation
What are the different chronic inflammatory cells?
- macrophages
- lymphocytes
- plasma cells
- eosinophils
What are Granulomas?
- special type of chronic inflammation
- consisting of activated macrophages usually surrounded by a rim of T lymphocytes
- often attempt to contain something that is difficult to eradicate such as a foreign body
What are Epithelioid Histiocytes?
When the activated macrophages of granulomas tend to accumulate cytoplasm
What are Langhan’s cells?
When many macrophages fuse to form multinucleate giant cells
What are the common sites for Granulomas?
- lungs
- lymph nodes
- GI tract
What are the potential infectious causes of Granulomas?
- mycobacterial
- fungal
- bacterial
What are the potential non-infectious causes of Granulomas?
- sarcoidosis
- Vasculitis
- Crohn’s Disease
- Foreign body reaction
- Malignancy
What are Nasal Polyps?
Soft, painless, noncancerous growths on the lining of your nasal passages or sinuses that develop as a consequence of repeated bouts of rhinitis which may be allergic or infectious
What is Allergic Rhinitis?
A type 1 hypersensitivity reaction mediated by IgE
What are Eosinophils?
Common inflammatory cells in IgE mediated immune reactions
What are Macrophages?
The dominant cell type in many chronic inflammatory reactions
What are Lymphocytes?
- Major players in adaptive immunity
- activated by microbes and other environmental antigens
- release cytokines which amplify and sustain the inflammatory response
What are the 3 major types of Lymphocytes?
- T cells
- B cells
- NK (natural killer) cells
What are plasma cells?
Type of differentiated B cells
- make antibodies/immunoglobulins
What is the onset of Acute Inflammation?
Sudden, accompanied by 1 or more cardinal signs:
- redness
- swelling
- heat
- pain
- limited function
What is the duration of Acute Inflammation?
Hours to days
What is the major cell type of Acute Inflammation?
Neutrophils
What is the morphology of Acute Inflammation?
Vascular and exudative changes
What are some examples of Acute Inflammation?
- cut or scrape
- bee sting
- Acute pneumonia
What is the onset of Chronic Inflammation?
Occurs if the injurious agent persists or organism is not eradicated from body
What is the duration of Chronic Inflammation?
Weeks to months
What is the major cell type of Chronic Inflammation?
Increase in macrophages, lymphocytes, plasma cells and eosinophils
What is the morphology of Chronic Inflammation?
Proliferation of connective tissue and vessels
What are some examples of Chronic Inflammation?
- wood splinter
- tuberculosis
- syphilis
- fungal
- rheumatoid arthritis
- asthma
