Intro to Inflammation

Question 1

What is inflammation?

Answer 1

A complex reaction involved with the repair process in response to an injury (or injurious agent)
Healing response

Question 2

Repair involves replacement of injured tissue via…

Answer 2

• Cell regeneration
• Scar formation
• Both

Question 3

The healing continuum is a spectrum between…

Answer 3

resolution and scar

Question 4

What are the major players in the inflammatory process?

Answer 4

• White blood cells/leukocytes
• Blood vessels
• Connective tissue cells
• Extracellular matrix

Question 5

Which cell is considered the immune cell?

Answer 5

White blood cells (leukocytes)

Question 6

Which blood vessels are most involved in the inflammatory process?

Answer 6

Capillaries and post capillary venules

Question 7

Which connective tissue cells are most involved in the inflammatory process?

Answer 7

Fibroblasts (lay down CT)

Question 8

What are the major causes of inflammation?

Answer 8

• Physical
• Chemical
• Microbiological
• Immune responses

Question 9

What are the two patterns of inflammation?

Answer 9

• Acute inflammatory response
• Chronic inflammatory response

Question 10

Describe the histology of an acute inflammatory response

Answer 10

Most prominent and first to arrive are neutrophils
Macrophages show up later

Question 11

Describe the symptoms of an acute inflammatory response

Answer 11

Rapid onset, short-lived symptomology

Question 12

Describe the histology of a chronic inflammatory response

Answer 12

Lymphocytes and macrophages are involved leukocytes
Fibroblasts are laying scar tissue

Question 13

Describe the symptoms of a chronic inflammatory response

Answer 13

Slow onset, long-lived symptoms appear late, more pronounced tissue damage

Question 14

What are the cardinal signs of inflammation as defined by Virchow?

Answer 14

• calor (heat)
• tumor (swelling)
• rubor (redness)
• dolor (pain)
  (also functio laesa, loss of function)

Question 15

What is edema?

Answer 15

Accumulation of fluid within the extravascular compartment and interstitial tissues

Question 16

What is an exudate?

Answer 16

Edema fluid with a high protein concentration (making it more dense) which frequently contains inflammatory cells

Question 17

If an edema is inflammatory, what is the fluid it contains?

Answer 17

Exudate

Question 18

When are exudates observed?

Answer 18

Early in acute inflammatory reactions produced by mild injuries
ie. sunburn, traumatic blisters

Question 19

What is the specific gravity of an exudate?

Answer 19

> 1.015 (more dense)

Question 20

What is an effusion?

Answer 20

Excess fluid in body cavities
ie. peritoneum or pleura

Question 21

What is a transudate?

Answer 21

Edema fluid with low protein content (less dense)

Question 22

If an edema is non-inflammatory, what is the fluid it contains?

Answer 22

Transudate

Question 23

What is the specific gravity of a transudate?

Answer 23

< 1.015 (less dense)

Question 24

A transudate is less dense, so it moves across the capillary wall by…

Answer 24

hemodynamic forces

Question 25

What characterizes a serous exudate, or effusion?

Answer 25

Absence of a prominent cellular response; has a yellow, straw-like color

Question 26

What are the histological features of serous exudate?

Answer 26

More proteins (greater specific gravity), fewer cells

Question 27

What is an example of serous exudate?

Answer 27

Blister

Question 28

What does serosanguinous refer to?

Answer 28

A serous exudate, or effusion, that contains red blood cells and has a red tinge

Question 29

If the coagulation system is activated, resulting in large amount of fibrin, what is the edema’s fluid?

Answer 29

Fibrinous exudate

Question 30

When a fibrinous exudate occurs on a serosal surface, such as the pleura or pericardium, it is referred to as…

Answer 30

fibrinous pleuritis or fibrinous pericarditis

Question 31

What is a purulent exudate or effusion?

Answer 31

Exudate that contains prominent cellular components

Question 32

What are the histological features of a purulent exudate?

Answer 32

More proteins (higher specific gravity, more dense), more cells with more debris

Question 33

What is an example of a purulent exudate?

Answer 33

Popping a pimple

Question 34

Purulent exudates and effusions are usually due to pathology such as… where the predominant cell type is…

Answer 34

pathology such as pyogenic bacterial infection where the predominant cell type is polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs)

Question 35

What is suppurative inflammation?

Answer 35

Acute inflammatory process where purulent exudate occurs with significant liquefactive necrosis; equivalent of pus

Question 36

What are the three major components that comprise the inflammatory response?

Answer 36

• Vessel wall permeability changes
• Vasodilation
• Leukocyte movement