Pathology Flashcards
What is a thrombus?
The solidification of blood contents that forms within the vascular system during life
What are platelets derived from?
Megakaryotes
What granules do platelets contain and what do they do?
Alpha granules- platelet adhesion
Dense granules- platelet aggregation
What activates platelets?
Contact with collagen
What causes a thrombus to occur?
When platelet aggregation occurs in an intact vessel
Why is platelet aggregation difficult to stop?
Causes the clotting cascade to begin which is a positive feedback loop
What ideology do we use to discuss causes of thrombosis?
Virchow’s Triad
What are the 3 groups in Virchow’s Triad? Give examples for each.
- Reduced blood flow: AF, long travel, immobility, ventricular insufficiency
- Increased coagulability: sepsis, smoking, malignancy, coagulation disorder
- Blood vessel injury: trauma, surgery, hypertension
What prevents blood clotting in normal circumstances?
Laminar blood flow
Endothelium cells are not sticky when healthy
What are the constituents of a thrombus?
Platelets, RBCs, Fibrin
What is the inactive form of fibrin?
Fibrinogen
What causes arterial thrombosis vs venous thrombosis?
Arterial thrombosis: caused by atheromatous plaque
Venous thrombosis: caused by stasis of blood flow
Describe how an arterial thrombus forms.
- Atheromatous plaque may have fatty streak
- Plaque grows and protrudes into the lumen causing turbulence to blood flow
- Turbulence causes loss of intimal cells
- Fibrin deposition and platelet clumping occurs
- This is self-perpetuating and leads to formation of platelet layer (first later of thrombus)
- Fibrin precipitates and RBCs get trapped
- Structure protrudes further into lumen causing more turbulence and more platelet deposition
- Thrombi grow in direction of blood flow- propagation
Describe how a venous thrombus forms.
- Valves produce a degree of turbulence and can be damaged
- When blood pressure falls, flow through the vein slows which allows thrombus to form
Where in the vein does a thrombus typically form and why?
At the value due to turbulence to blood flow
Why does atheroma not occur in veins?
Blood pressure is too low
How does an arterial thrombus display clinically?
Loss of pulse due to distal thrombus
Area is cold, painful and pale
Possible gangrene
How does a venous thrombus display clinically?
Area is tender
Reddened and swollen
What can be prescribed to inhibit platelet aggregation?
Aspirin
Describe the 4 possible outcomes of thrombosis.
- RESOLVE
- Best case scenario
- Body dissolves thrombus and clears it - ORGANISED
- Becomes a scar
- Slight narrowing of vessel lumen - RECANALISATION
- Intimal cells may proliferate
- Capillaries may grown into the thrombus and fuse to form larger vessels - EMBOLUS
- Fragments of thrombus break off into circulation
Describe the 4 possible outcomes of thrombosis.
- RESOLVE
- Best case scenario
- Body dissolves thrombus and clears it - ORGANISED
- Becomes a scar
- Slight narrowing of vessel lumen - RECANALISATION
- Intimal cells may proliferate
- Capillaries may grown into the thrombus and fuse to form larger vessels - EMBOLUS
- Fragments of thrombus break off into circulation
What is the difference in composition of an arterial and venous thrombus?
Arterial- mainly platelets
Venous- mainly RBCs
What can arterial thrombosis lead to if untreated?
Myocardial Infarction
Stroke
What can venous thrombosis lead to if untreated?
Deep vein thrombosis
Pulmonary embolism
What is prescribed for arterial and venous thrombosis?
Arterial- antiplatelets (e.g. aspirin)
Venous- anticoagulants (e.g. warfarin)
What are the 2 types of inflammation?
Acute & chronic
What is acute inflammation?
Initial response of a tissue to injury
Early onset
Short duration
Involved neutrophils and monocytes
What are the 3 main steps of acute inflammation?
- VASCULAR component: dilation of vessels
- EXUDATIVE component: vascular leakage of protein rich fluid
- NEUTROPHIL polymorph: cell type recruited to tissue
What are the 6 causes of acute inflammation?
Microbial infections
Hypersensitivity reactions
Physical agents (trauma, heat, etc.)
Chemicals (corrosives etc.)
Bacterial toxins
Tissue necrosis
Describe the appearance of acute inflammation.
Rubor- redness
Calor- heat
Tumor- swelling
Dolor- pain
Loss of function
What causes rubor in acute inflammation?
Dilation of small vessels
Describe neutrophil polymorph emigration in acute inflammation.
- Migration of neutrophils:
Due to increase plasma viscosity and slowing of flow due to injury, neutrophils migrate to plasmatic zone - Adhesion of neutrophils:
Adhesion to the vascular endothelial cells occurs in venules- this is called pavementing - Neutrophil emigration:
Neutrophils pass through endothelial cells, onto basal lamina and then the vessel wall - Diapedesis:
Neutrophils pass through blood vessel. RBCs may also escape from vessels. This is a passive process and indicates severe vascular injury
Describe the outcomes of acute inflammation.
- RESOLUTION:
- complete restoration of tissues to normal
- minimal cell death and rapid destruction of the causal agent - SUPPORATION:
- formation of pus
- this becomes surrounded by a pyogenic membrane, which is the start of healing - ORGANISATION:
- replacement by granulation tissue
- new capillaries grow into inflammatory exudate, macrophages migrate and fibrosis occurs - PROGRESSION
- causative agent is not removed so there is progression to chronic inflammation
What is the difference between how bacteria and viruses cause harm?
bacteria- release of exotoxins/ endotoxins
virus- call death due to intracellular multiplication
What are the systemic affects of acute inflammation?
pyrexia
weight loss
reactive hyperplasia of reticuloendothelial system
haematological changes
amyloidosis
What are the endogenous chemical mediators of acute inflammation and what do they do?
Bradykinin, histamine, nitric oxide
They lead to vasodilation, recruitment of neutrophils, chemotaxis, increased vascular permeability, itching, pain
List the cell types involved in acute inflammation and whether they are short or long lived.
Neutrophil polymorph- short
Macrophage- long
Lymphocyte- long
Fibroblasts- long
Endothelial cells- long
What is the general function of neutrophil polymorphs in acute inflammation?
- first at scene
- dies at scene
- releases chemicals that attract macrophages
What is the general function of macrophages in acute inflammation?
- phagocytic properties
- ingests bacteria and debris (prevent infection)
- may present antigens and lymphocytes
What is the general function of lymphocytes in acute inflammation?
- produce chemicals that attract inflammatory cells
- immunological memory for past infections and antigens
What is the general function of fibroblasts in acute inflammation?
- forms collagen in areas of chronic inflammation to aid repair
What is the general function of endothelial cells in acute inflammation?
- sticky so inflammatory cells adhere
- porous to allow inflammatory cells to pass into tissues
- grow in areas of damage to form new capillaries
What is chronic inflammation?
- subsequent and prolonged response to tissue injury
- involves lymphocytes, macrophages and plasma cells
- longer onset
- longer lasting effects
What is the name for several macrophages joined together?
multinucleated giant cell
What are the causes of chronic inflammation?
- endogenous/ exogenous materials (necrosis, asbestos)
- autoimmune conditions
- transplant rejection
- recurrent acute inflammation
- progression from acute inflammation
How does chronic inflammation present macroscopically and microscopically?
MACROSCOPIC:
- chronic ulcer
- chronic abscess cavity
- granulomatous inflammation
- fibrosis
MICROSCOPIC:
- lymphocytes, plasma cells, macrophages
- possible tissue necrosis
- continuing destruction
Which cell is present in chronic inflammation but not acute?
Plasma cells
Describe the role of lymphocytes and macrophages in chronic inflammation.
B lymphocyte:
- transforms into plasma cells
- produce antibodies
T lymphocytes:
- cell-mediated immunity
Macrophages:
- respond to chemotactic stimuli
- produce cytokines
Which cytokines are produced in chronic inflammation?
interferons:
alpha
beta
IL6, IL7, IL8
TNF-alpha
What is granuloma?
aggregate of epithelioid
In what type of inflammation can granuloma occur?
chronic
What is an embolism?
A mass of material in the vascular system able to lodge in a vessel and block it’s lumen
What can form an embolus?
- thrombus
- air
- cholesterol crystals
- tumour
- amniotic fluid
- fat
Where can arterial embolisms travel? Are there any exceptions to this?
Anywhere downstream of its entry point
Mural thrombi in left ventricle can go anywhere
Cholesterol crystals from atheromatous plaque in descending aorta can go anywhere
What is another name for an arterial embolism?
Systemic embolism
Where do emboli in the venous system travel?
Travel to the vena cava and lodge in pulmonary arteries = pulmonary embolism
Describe the different sizes of emboli.
- Small emboli:
- may occur unnoticed
- can cause idiopathic pulmonary hypertension - Large emboli:
- can result in acute respiratory or cardiac problems
- resolve slowly
- result in chest pain and shortness of breath - Massive emboli:
- sudden death
- arise from long thrombi derived from leg veins
- often impacted across the bifurcation of one of the pulmonary arteries
What does idiopathic mean?
Any disease or condition which arises spontaneously or for which the cause is unknown
What is ischaemia?
reduction of blood flow to a tissue or part of the body caused by constriction or blockage of the blood vessels supplying it
does not result in any further complications by itself
How long are ischaemic attacks?
brief (usually 1 hr, max 24 hrs)
Which cells are most vulnerable to ischaemia?
cardiomyocytes
cerebral neurons
Is ischaemia reversible?
yes
What is infarction?
reduction in blood flow that leads to cell death due to an inadequate oxygen supply to sustain metabolic demand
What usually causes infarction?
arterial thrombosis
Which organs are least susceptible to infarction and why?
Liver, brain and lungs
They are the only organs with a dual blood supply
What is a reperfusion injury?
damage to tissue during deoxygenation after an infarct
What causes retinoblastoma?
A gene inherited on chromosome 13
What is the meaning of resolution in terms of healing?
- tissue restored to normal, pre-injury state
- tissue architecture undamaged (able to regenerate)
- initiating factor (cause of injury) is removed
What is the meaning of repair in terms of healing?
- tissue is repaired, but unable to regenerate to pre-injury state- replaced with scar/ fibrotic tissue
- tissue architecture is damaged- unable to regenerate
- initiating factor still present
Which cells can regenerate?
hepatocytes
pneumocytes
blood cells
gut epithelium
skin epithelium
osteocytes
Which cells can’t regenerate?
myocardial cells
neurones
Give some examples of repair
- myocardial cell after MI
- neurones in brain after cerebral infarct
- neurones in spinal chord after trauma
How does the liver heal? What if damage is repeated? e.g. chronic alcoholism
- hepatocytes can fully regenerate (resolution) is damage is not repeatedly occurring
- if damage is repeated (patient keeps drinking) repair will occur instead of resolution leading to fibrous scarring, regenerative nodules and eventually cirrhosis
What is fibrosis?
scarring
How is fibrosis classified?
Staging system ranging from 1 to 4
What is cirrhosis?
Stage 4 fibrosis
How does fibrosis affect tissues?
As fibrosis progresses, normal functional tissue is replaced by scar tissue (not functional)
How does cirrhosis affect the liver?
- alteration of blood flow
- inability to synthesise proteins
- inability to process drugs and toxins
- decreased immune function
What is lobar pneumonia?
bacterial infections in one lobe of the lungs caused by strep pneumonia
one lobe of lungs fills with pus
alveoli fill with neutrophil polymorphs
Can alveoli regenerate after global pneumonia?
pneumocystis of alveoli can regenerate as long as infection/pus has cleared
resolution can occur in walls of alveoli if architecture is intact
How does COVID-19 affect the lungs?
- interstitial pneumonia affecting more than one lobe
- interstitium and connective tissue of lungs fill with fluid- patchy appearance on chest x-ray
- severe COVID can destruct alveoli architecture, leading to fibrosis- presents as honeycomb lung
How do skin abrasions heal?
repair- as long as skin has been scraped and no hole has been made
Describe the process of skin repair.
- top stratified layer of squamous epithelial cells are scraped off to expose stem cells underneath
- these stem cells regenerate the skin underneath the scab
- initially a thin confluent epidermis forms before being replaced by final epidermal growth
How does skin heal if the stem cells are removed in the abrasion?
The skin will regenerate via the stem cells associated with hair follicles
What is the difference between healing by first and second intention?
Healing by first intention occurs in surgical incisions or wounds with close edges whereas healing by second intention occurs when you cannot bring the edges together due to a gap or hole in the skin
Describe the process of healing by first intention
- edges are brought together using stitches
- incision would fills with blood and a thrombus forms
- exudation of fibrinogen causes formation of weak fibrin
- epidermal growth and collagen synthesis leads to a strong collagenous join
- epidermis grows over top
Why is a scar initially red? What colour does it turn after time has passed?
initially red as there is still blood present in the collagen
eventually turns white (colour of collagen)