ORAL PATH intro

Question 1

what types of specimens are sent out for histopathological investigation?

Answer 1

diagnostic
resected

Question 2

what are the 2 types of biopsy?

Answer 2

incisional
excisional

Question 3

what is an incisional biopsy?

Answer 3

small piece of tissue taken from an area to obtain a diagnosis

Question 4

what is an excisional biospy?

Answer 4

whole specimen removed for diagnosis and treatment in some cases

Question 5

what is a resection?

Answer 5

usually after an incisional biopsy, whole specimen removed

Question 6

how are specimens usually transported through the pathology lab?

Answer 6

fixed - in a 10% neutral buffered formalin

Question 7

why are specimens placed in formalin?

Answer 7

to prevent tissue breaking down and to cross link the proteins to preserve the histology

Question 8

why may a fresh specimen be sent to the lab and how is it transported?

Answer 8

frozen

when pt still in theatre and urgent diagnosis is required

also applies to some specimens which require further investigation i.e., immunofluorescent studies

Question 9

what is a specimen always accompanied by?

Answer 9

correctly filled out pathology request form

Question 10

once transferred to the lab, what does the pathologist do to the specimen?

Answer 10

pathologist describes what specimen looks like and detail any irregularities

if it is a large biopsy, it will be inked in different colours and dissected

Question 11

what does a specimen require if it contains bone/ teeth?

Answer 11

decalcification, it must be soft enough to be cut with a scalpel

Question 12

where are biopsies/ resection specimens placed after descritpion?

Answer 12

in cassettes and given a unique pathology number

Question 13

what does processing a specimen involve?

Answer 13

further fixation then dehydration of tissue in ethanol

Question 14

what does embedding a specimen involve?

Answer 14

placing in hot paraffin wax to form tissue blocks

Question 15

what is used to cut sections from a tissue block and at what thickness?

Answer 15

microtome

4um

Question 16

after the tissue block is cut, what happens to the sections (4 stages)?

Answer 16

floated in water bath, mounted on glass slide, stained and coverslip placed

Question 17

in what form is a specimen examined by a pathologist?

Answer 17

in a slide

Question 18

what are the histopathological layers of the tongue?

Answer 18

epithelium
inflammation
muscle

Question 19

what are the 3 stains for specimen slides?

Answer 19

hematoxylin and eosin (H+E)
special histochemical stains
immunohistochemistry (antibodies)

Question 20

in addition to light microscopy with routine and special stains and immunohistochemistry, what other investigations may be used to aid diagnosis?

Answer 20

immunofluorescence
in situ hybridisation
electron microscopy
cytogenetic and molecular genetic analysis

Question 21

explain digital pathology?

Answer 21

all stages are the same up until the glass slides are produced then these are captured with scanning device to provide a high resolution image that can be viewed on a computer or mobile device

Question 22

define hyperplasia

Answer 22

abnormal multiplication or increase in number of normal cells in normal arrangement in a tissue

Question 23

define hypertrophy

Answer 23

enlargement or overgrowth of an organ or part due to an increase in size of its constituent cells

Question 24

define atrophy

Answer 24

decrease in cell size by loss of cell substance

Question 25

define metaplasia

Answer 25

reversible change in which one adult cell type is replaced by another adult cell type

Question 26

define hyperkeratosis

Answer 26

thickening of the stratum corneum

Question 27

define orthokeratosis

Answer 27

formation of an anuclear keratin layer, as in normal keratinised stratified squamous epithelium

Question 28

define parakeratosis

Answer 28

the persistence of nuclei in the cells of a keratin layer

Question 29

define dyskeratosis

Answer 29

premature keratinisation of epithelial cells that have not reached the keratinising surface layer

Question 30

define acanthosis

Answer 30

increased thickness of prickle cell layer

Question 31

define acantholysis

Answer 31

the loss of intercellular adhesion between keratinocytes

Question 32

define epithelial dysplasia

Answer 32

alteration in differentiation, maturation, and architecture of adult epithelial cells

Question 33

define ulceration

Answer 33

mucosal/ skin defect with complete loss of surface epithelium

Question 34

define apoptosis

Answer 34

programmed cells death

Question 35

define necrosis

Answer 35

cell death by injury or disease