introduction to pathology Flashcards
what is pathology?
the study of the causes and effects of diseases
why is pathology important to dentists?
- make correct diagnosis
- give correct treatment
- understand systemic diseases
- make appropriate referrals
- advise and educate patients
what is aetiology?
the cause, set of causes, or manner of causation of disease or condition
what is morphology?
the phenotypc changes associated with a disease
what is pathogenesis?
progressive changes as disease develops
what is sequelae?
what happens next? after a disease develops
describe the oral disease dental caries
aetiology- bacterial origin
morphology- tooth decay
pathogenesis- fermentation of sugars
sequelae- fluoride treatment, remove infected tissue etc.
describe the oral disease periodontitis
Aetiology – bacterial origin (plaque)
Morphology – gingival tissue inflammation
Pathogenesis – bacterial protease activity, elevated pro-inflammatory response etc
Sequelae – physical debridement of plaque, removal of infected tissue
what is hyperplasia?
increase in the number of cells
what is dysplasia?
presence of abnormal cells
describe the oral disease oral cancer
aetiology- excessive alcohol/tobacco
morphology- carcinoma formation
pathogenesis- hyperplasia, dysplasia
sequelae- surgery etc.
what are some examples of specialties within pathology?
- general
- clinical
- forensic
- genetic
- haematology
- immunopathology
- microbiology
why is it important for dentists to be aware of other body diseases?
they are linked with oral diseases/ have oral symptoms eg diabetes, arthritis, stroke, alzheimer’s
what does the term ‘surgical sieve’ mean?
refers to differential diagnosis in which the clinician must distinguish symptoms of a particular disease or condition from others that present similar clinical features (VITAMINCDEF) (bleeding, numbness, lump)
what are special pathologists?
microbiologist, immunologist etc.
what are the four key organs of the immune system?
thymus, bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen
what is bone marrow?
a spongy tissue in the centre of bones responsible for making blood cells
what is the thymus?
small organ where T cells and lymphocytes mature
what are lymph nodes?
small structures made up of cells which produce and store immune cells that fight infection and disease- get larger and sore when you have an infection
what is the spleen?
largest lymphatic organ, contains WBCs that fight infection or disease, also helps control amount of blood in the body
what is the lymphatic system?
subsystem of the circulatory system
- transports clean fluids back to blood
- drains excess fluids from tissues
- removed debris from cells of the body
- transports fats from the digestive system
what are the two branches of the immune system?
innate and adaptive
what is innate immunity?
first line of non-specific, effective defence (1-3 days)
Regular contact with potential pathogens which are destroyed within minutes or hours, only rarely causing disease
what is adaptive immunity?
second line of defence specific and acquired (4-10 days)
Repeat infections met immediately with strong and specific response
what are the componants of the innate immune system?
- epithelium
- innate cell subsets and complement
- chemokines
what is the function of the epithelium in innate immunity?
Produces antimicrobial peptides
Produces cytokines/chemokines
what is the function of innate cell subsets in innate immunity?
Phagocytic cells (macrophages, neutrophils)
Antigen-presenting cells (dendritic cells)
what is the function of chemokines in innate immunity?
Chemokine – Cell recruitment
Cytokine – cell activation/proliferation
what are the cell types in adaptive immunity?
- B cells
- T cells
what is the function of B cells in adaptive immunity?
produce antibodies
what is the function of T cells in adaptive immunity?
what is inflammation?
inflammatory response is aimed at eliminating inciting cause (forgein agents)
- invading micro-organisms
- particulate materials eg dusts
- altered self cells eg cancer cells
what are the stages of inflammation?
- initiation- response to harmful agents
- progression- containment of harmful agents
- amplification- modulation of immune response
- resolution- healing (acute inflammation)
untreated acute inflammation leads to chronic inflammation
what is chronic?
unresolved, failures in control mechanism, self-damage
