Lung Pathology Flashcards
What can asthma be described as?
paroxysmal contraction of the airways resulting in decreased airflow due to reversible airway obstruction over a period of time
What are the two types pf asthma?
Extrinsic = asthma more common in children and associated with exposure to external agents e.g pollen, chemicals, drugs, aspergillus
Intrinsic = asthma more common in adults - exercise, infection and stress
What is the pathophysiology of asthma?
various allergens bind to IgE attached to certain immune cells (eosinophils) leading to degranulation
Charcot-Leyden crystals may be seen
What are charcot leyden crystals?
microscopic crystals found in people with allergic diseases such as asthma
- protein that interacts with eosinophil lysophospholipases which act on biological membranes to regulate the multifunctional lysophospholipids
protein may possess IgE binding or carbohydrate binding activities
crystal can be found in sputum
What does the chronic inflammation in asthma cause?
in the conducting zone of the airways it leads to increased bronchial gland mass with increased mucus leading to the formation of curschmann’s spirals = microscopic findings in the sputum
spiral shaped mucus plugs from sub epithelial mucous gland ducts or bronchioles
may also be increased smooth muscle
What white cells are involved in inflammation of the bronchial mucosa?
T lymphocytes, eosinophils, potentially neutrophils
- t lymphocytes are important in the regulation of airway inflammation through the release of numerous cytokines
What other changes occur in the bronchioles in asthma?
shedding of bronchial epithelial cells (potentially due to failure of intercellular adhesion mechanisms) as well as thickening of epithelial basement membrane
What are adhesion molecules important for in asthma?
selecting and interns - critical in directing the inflammatory changes in the airways
What do cell-derived mediators do in asthma?
influence smooth muscle tone and produce structural changes in remodeling of the airway
What is the airway hyper responsiveness and bronchial hyper-reactivity in asthma due to?
an exaggerated response to numerous exogenous and endogenous stimuli
- mechanisms involved include direct stimulation of the airway smooth muscle and indirect stimulation by pharmacologically active substances from mediator secreting cells such as mast cells or sensory neurons
degree of hyper-responsiveness correlates well with severity
What is status asthmatics a response to?
response to asphyxia - where one asthma attack follows another without pause
What are the features of status asthmatics ?
hyperinflation of the airways and petechial hemorrhages
- petechial = small (1-2mm) red or purple spot on the skin caused by a minor bleed from broken capillary - occurs due to asphyxiation
- also mucoid plugging of large and small airways and atelectasis
What is atelectasis?
collapse or closure of a lung resulting in reduced or absent gas exchange
- may affect part or all of the lung and is usually unilateral
- alveoli are deflated down to little or no volume
- it is the mucoid plugs that lead to reduced gas exchange which then leads to atelectasis
What are the main symptoms of COPD?
SOB, cough with sputum production
What are blue bloaters?
person where the primary underlying lung pathology is chronic bronchitis - caused by excessive mucus production with airway obstruction resulting in goblet cell metaplasia and chronic inflammation round bronchi = increased mass of bronchial mucus glands (reid index >0.4)
How does the body respond in chronic bronchitis to the increased obstruction?
by decreasing ventilation and increasing cardiac output - poor ventilation to perfusion mismatch leading to hypoxemia and polycythemia
also have hypercapnia
What happens in chronic bronchitis in terms of the increasing obstruction?
residual lung volume gradually increases (“bloating part”)
- bluish lips and faces
What is the clinical definition of chronic bronchitis?
persistent cough with sputum production for at least 3 months over the past 2 consecutive years
What are the main causes of chronic bronchitis?
tobacco smoking and atmospheric pollution
What are the pathological changes in the large airways that occur in chronic bronchitis?
increase in submucosal gland mass (reid index>0.4)
increase in numbers of goblet cells
increase in smooth muscle
chronic inflammatory cell infiltrate of lamina propria
What is the reid index ?
measure of mucus gland thickness in comparison to the thickness of the basement membrane
What is the difference between the diagnosis of chronic bronchitis and emphysema?
chronic bronchitis = clinical diagnosis
Emphysema = pathological/morphological diagnosis = pink puffers
What is emphysema?
destruction of the airways distal to the terminal bronchiole
What happens in emphysema?
digestion of elastin in the alveolar walls leads to dilation of the air spaces = less surface area for gas exchange
gradual destruction of the pulmonary capillary bed and thus decreased ability to oxygenate the blood = less vascular bed for gas exchange
Do blue bloaters or pink puffers have less ventilation-perfusion mismatch?
less ventilation-perfusion mismatch in pink puffers