Lung Pathology Flashcards
What is Chronic Bronchitis?
Where in the airway is it?
What are the pathological features?
What is the aetiology?
Chronic inflammation of the Bronchus leading to
- excess mucus production
- dilatation of the airways
Usually 2nd to Tobacco + air pollution
What are the clinical features of chronic bronchitis?
Cough & sputum on most days for 3 months over 2 years
What are the histological findings in a lung with chronic bronchitis?
Dilatation of the airways
goblet cell hyperplasia and hypertrophy of mucous glands
What are complications of chronic bronchitis?
Recurrent infections
chronic hypoxia
Pulm HTN
What is Bronchiectasis?
Where in the airway is it?
What are the pathological features?
Airway dilatation and scarring (in the Bronchi)
Usually due to recurrent infections (CF!!)
Name 5 inflammatory causes of Bronchiectasis
Bronchiectasis required 2 components to form
- Chronic inflammation/ infection
- With inadequate clearence of secretions, airway obstruction or altered host defence
Inflammatory causes include
- Post-infectious (e.g. pertussis)
- Abnormal host defense: primary (hypogammaglobulinaemia) and secondary (chemotherapy, NG)
- Obstruction (extrinsic/intrinsic/middle lobe syn.)
- Post-inflammatory (aspiration)
- Secondary to bronchiolar disease (OB) and interstitial fibrosis (CFA, sarcoidosis)
- Systemic disease (connective tissue disorders)
- Asthma
Name 2 Congenital causes of Bronchiectasis
- Cystic fibrosis
- Primary ciliary dyskinesia
Others include:
Hypogammaglobulinema
Young’s syndrome = rhinosinusitis, azoospermia and bronchiectasis
What gene mutation causes Cystic Fibrosis?
Can be caused by many mutations, most commonly
1. AR mutation in CFTR gene (mostly F508del)
What is the pathogen most commonly causing infection in patients with cystic fibrosis?
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa
How does bronchiectsis clinically present?
Cough, purulent sputum, fever
On ausculation
- Crackles + rhonci
- Wheeze
- Bronchophony
What histological changes can be seen in Bronchiectasis?
Permanent fibrotic dilatation of the bronchi
What are histological chagnes seen in Asthma?
Smooth muscle cell hyperplasia
excess mucus (goblet cell hypertrophy) inflammation
Whorls of shed epithelium (Curschmann spirals), eosinophils, Charcot-Leyden crystals
What is emphysema?
Where in the airway is it?
What are the pathological features?
What is the aetiology?
Airspace enlargement and wall destruction in the Acinus
Usually due to
1. Smoking
2. consider alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency in non-smokers
What histological changes can be seen in a patient with emphysema?
Loss of the alveolar parenchyma distal to the terminal bronchiole
Enlarged air space (turquiose on picture)
(+smooth muscle hyperplasia in COPD due to pulmonary hypertension)
What is instersitial lung disease?
Group of >200 diseases characterized by inflammation and fibrosis of the pulmonary connective tissue, accounting for 15% of respiratory disease burden.
Causes Restrictive lung disease!
What is a typcial clinical presentation of ILD (interstitial lung disease)?
Typical presentation
● Chronic shortness of breath (on exertion), progressive
● Fine end-inspiratory crackles
● Cyanosis, pulmonary HTN and cor pulmonale
- chronic, non-productive cough
What are the expected results of ILD on
1. spirometry
2. Imaging
3.
- Spirometry: Restrictive picture (reduced FEV1 and FVR but normal FEV1/FVC ratio i.e. >70%)
- Imaging: Fibrosis, in late stages CT can show ground glass/ honeycomb
What are the features of Cryptogenic Fibrosing Alveolitis / Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis?
Epidemiology?
Aetiology?
Prognosis?
Most comon form of Fibrosing Interstitial lung disases (10:100.000/ year)
Usually affects Men 50-70 years
Cause unkonw
Usually progressive and resp.failure occurs within 3-7 years
What investigations are done for the diagnosis of Cryptogenic Fibrosing Alveolitis / Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis?
What are the expected results?
Diagnosed after
1. exclusion of other causes for IDL
2. Evidence of the following on High Resolution CT or histology
Progressive patchy interstitial fibrosis with loss of normal lung architecture and honeycomb change, beginning at periphery of the lobule, usually sub-pleural
Hyperplasia of type II pneumocytes causing cyst formation–> honeycomb fibrosis.
What is Pneumoconiosis?
Type of fibrosing ILD caued by occupational inhalation of mineral dust or inorganic particles (e.g. coal miners)
–> usually affecting the upper lobe
(Asbestos is a form of pneumoconiosis usually affecting lower lobes)