Lecture 1 - Intro to Cellular Pathology Flashcards
What is histopathology, and what is its focus?
Histopathology is the study of diagnostic information obtained from tissue samples, focusing on multicellular structures in tissues.
What is cytopathology, and what does it focus on?
Cytopathology is the study of diagnostic information obtained from cell preparations, with a focus on cellular morphology.
What are the two main categories of histological changes resulting from diseases?
Structural or chemical changes can manifest as histological changes in tissues, either directly caused by the disease or the tissue response to the agent (indirectly).
Name the three types of histological changes seen in tissues.
Modified changes (e.g., inflammation), growth abnormalities (degenerative and proliferative), and the presence of foreign bodies (e.g., fungi, bacteria).
What are the signs of acute inflammation, and how long does it typically last?
Signs include rubor (redness), calor (heat), tumor (swelling), dolor (pain), and loss of function. Acute inflammation lasts from a few hours to 14 days.
Describe the process of vasodilation during inflammation.
Vasodilation involves an increase in luminal size, slowing blood flow, making the area feel “hot” (calor), and appear red (rubor).
What causes swelling (tumor) during inflammation?
Increased vascular permeability leads to the movement of water, salts, and proteins into the damaged area, causing swelling (tumor).
What are the key cells involved in acute inflammation, and what is their role?
Neutrophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes are involved. Neutrophils are short-lived phagocytes important for pathogen removal and phagocytosis.
How are acute inflammation and chronic inflammation differentiated histologically?
Acute inflammation shows changes in the vascular system, unusual cell presence, and degenerative changes, while chronic inflammation involves macrophages, lymphocytes, and plasma cells.
What are the causes of chronic inflammation?
Persistent infections, non-degradable materials, and autoimmune diseases are common causes of chronic inflammation.
What are the different forms of macrophages in chronic inflammation?
Epithelioid cells and giant cells are forms of macrophages. Epithelioid cells resemble epithelial cells, and giant cells are large, multi-nucleated cells.
Describe the process of healing and the types of healing outcomes.
Healing can result in recovery (no tissue loss), regeneration (replacement of lost tissue), or repair (scar tissue formation).
What are the three types of tissue growth abnormalities?
Hypertrophy (increase in cell size), hyperplasia (increase in cell number), and metaplasia (transformation of one cell type into another).
Define necrosis and describe the process of coagulative necrosis.
Necrosis is cell death. Coagulative necrosis is the most common type, where cells retain their outline and stain pink eosinophilic.
Differentiate between benign and malignant neoplasms.
Benign tumors have well-defined borders, resemble the tissue of origin, and grow slowly. Malignant tumors are poorly defined, grow rapidly, and can invade and metastasize.
