Introduction to Pathology

Question 1

What is disease

Answer 1

Any harmful devation from or interruption of any part or system of the body which is manifested by a characteristc set of symptoms (what the patient feels) and signs (what the clinician sees)

Question 2

What is Pathology

Answer 2

‘Study of disease’
The structural, biochemical and functional changes in cells, tissues and organs that occur in disease

Question 3

Importance of pathology

Answer 3

Fundamental to understanding how a disease occurs and how disease can be diagnosed, treated and prevented

Question 4

General Pathology

Answer 4

Basic responses of cells and tissues to insults and injuries, irrespective of the organs, systems, or species of animal involved

Question 5

Systemic Pathology

Answer 5

Pathology of organ systems
Alterations in specialized organs and tissues

Question 6

Anatomic Pathology

Answer 6

Examination is tissues taken during life (biopsy) or after death (autopsy, necropsy)
Can be gross or histopathology
-> examines nature and extent of disease process

Question 7

Clinical Pathology

Answer 7

Examination of blood and other body fluids, as well as (cytology) during life, laboratory diagnostics and technology

Question 8

What is aetiology

Answer 8

Cause of the disease

Question 9

What is pathogenesis

Answer 9

How the disease develops

Question 10

4 aspects of disease

Answer 10

Aetiology, pathogenesis, molecular and morphological changes, and clinical manifestation

Question 11

What is inflammation

Answer 11

Vascular and interstitial tissue changes that develop in response to tissue injury and that are designed to sequester, dilute and destroy the causal agent
‘-itis’

Question 12

What is healing

Answer 12

Repair of injured tissue, occurs after or during inflammation

Question 13

Angiogenesis

Answer 13

Formation of new blood vessels

Question 14

Fibrosis

Answer 14

Formation of fibrous connective tissue by fibroblasts

Question 15

Which organs will undergo regeneration

Answer 15

Some organs such as intestines will generate, stable organs such as the heart will not

Question 16

Epithelisation

Answer 16

The regenerative process that covers defects in injured skin and other epithelial surfaces

Question 17

Thrombosis

Answer 17

Interaction of the blood coagulation system and platelets to form, within a vascular lumen, an aggregate of fibrin and platelets (=thrombus)

Question 18

What is neoplasia

Answer 18

Cancer- can be benign or malignant
Intrinsic genetic mutation in somatic cells that underlie abnormal mechanisms for growth and control of mitosis, differentiation and cell-to-cell interactions, all of which lead to unrestrained mitosis
Disruption of normal cell boundaries -> abnormal cell growth
leads to disruption of normal tissues through replacement or compression

Question 19

Metabolic dysfunction

Answer 19

Metabolism is the chemical process that takes place in an organism in order to maintain homeostasis
Dysfunctions can be genetic, due to a chemical imbalance, or an organ malfunction (e.g. pancreas in diabetes)

Question 20

Necrosis

Answer 20

Death of cells or tissues in the living animal, can be diffuse or just part of an organ affected

Question 21

What is a biopsy

Answer 21

Removal and examination of a tissue sample from a living animal body for diagnostic purposes

Question 22

Post mortem exam

Answer 22

Methodical examination of the dead animal

Question 23

What is the Pathological Description

Answer 23

How to describe lesions observed during the biopsy or autopsy

Question 24

What is included in the pathological description (8)

Answer 24

Location
Number/ extent
Demarcation- can you tell the lesion apart from normal tissue
Distribution
Colour
Size
Shape
Consistency and texture
* smells or sounds should also be recorded

Question 25

What does varrucose mean

Answer 25

wart like shape

Question 26

How to describe distribution of pathology

Answer 26

Focal, multifocal, focally extensive, multifocal to coalescing, diffuse (entire organ), random, segmental etc.

Question 27

What is a clinical diagnosis

Answer 27

Based on data obtained from the case history, clinical signs and physical examination

Question 28

what is a clinical pathological diagnosis

Answer 28

Based on changes observed in the chemistry of fluids and the haematology, structure, and function of cells collected from the living patient
e.g. azotaemia, hypernatremia etc

Question 29

What is a morphological diagnosis

Answer 29

Based on what is seen- the predominant lesions in the tissues
Can be microscopic/histological or macroscopic/gross

Question 30

What does the morphological diagnosis describe (5)

Answer 30

Location (organ)
Distribution- Focal, multifocal, diffuse, segmental
Severity- mild, moderate, severe
Duration- peracture, acute, subacute, chronic
Nature/ Process - degenerative, inflammatory, neoplastic (indicated by -itis, -osis …..)

Question 31

What is morphology

Answer 31

Study of what can be seen through microscopis and/or macroscopic examination

Question 32

Macroscopic examination of morphology

Answer 32

Observe deviation in size, colour, texture and location

Question 33

What is autolysis, when does it occur

Answer 33

changes due to “self-digestion”, intracellular enzymes leak through cell membranes
Post mortem

Question 34

What is putrefaction, when does it occur

Answer 34

Colour and texture changes, gas production, and odours that are caused by post-mortem bacterial metabolism and dissolution of host tissues (post-mortem decomposition)

Question 35

What is rigor mortis and why does it occur

Answer 35

Contraction of muscles occurring after death
Due to depletion of ATP and glycogen, commences 1 to 6 hours after death and persists for 1 to 2 days

Question 36

What is livor mortis

Answer 36

Gravitational pooling of blood to the down side of the animal, can be seen on skin or in organs

Question 37

What is haemoglobin imbibition

Answer 37

Red staining of tissues
Once the integrity of blood vessel walls is lost, haemoglobin released by lysed erythrocytes penetrates the vessel wall

Question 38

What is bile imbibition

Answer 38

Bile in the gal bladder stains adjacent tissue yellow/green/brown

Question 39

What is pseudomelanosis

Answer 39

Blue-green discolouration of the tissue by iron sulphide (FeS)
formed by the reaction of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) generated by putrefactive bacteria and the iron from haemoglobin released from lysed erythrocytes

Question 40

What to include in morphological diagnosis of neoplasia and malformations

Answer 40

Organ + Name of neoplasia/malformation

Question 41

What does per acute mean

Answer 41

v. quick-> quicker than acute

Question 42

What is agonal

Answer 42

Abnormal pattern of breathing characterised by laboured, gasping breaths that occur because of insufficient oxygen.