- a focal aggregate of immune cells - that forms in response to a persistent inflammatory stimulus. (usually macrophages/histiocytes surrounded by lymphocytes)

Pathology Flashcards by Edmund Whelan

Definition of inflammation?

A local physiological response to injury

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What’s special about basal cell carcinomas?

They only invade locally

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Definition of a benign tumour?

A growth that doesn’t invade neighbouring tissues or spread around the body

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Definition of a malignant tumour?

A growth the grows uncontrollably and spreads to other parts of the body

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Definition of a carcinoma?

carcinoma = malignant neoplasm of epithelial origin

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Definition of a sarcoma?

a cancer that originates in supportive and connective tissues (bones, tendons, cartilage, muscle, and fat)

e.g osteosarcoma (bone), chondrosarcoma (cartilage), leiomyosarcoma (smooth muscle)

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What is the grade of a neoplasm?

How much a neoplasm resembles normal tissue - it’s high grade if it doesn’t resemble normal tissue and comes with worse prognosis

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What is an anaplastic tumour?

Cancer of unknown cell origin

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Definition of carcinogenesis?

Transformation of normal cells to neoplastic cells
through permanent DNA alterations/mutations

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What is the sequence of events that take place for metastasis to occur?

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What is a tumour of striated muscle called?

Rhabdomyoma/Rhabdomyosarcoma

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What is a tumour of smooth muscle called?

Leiomyoma/leiomyosarcoma

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What is a tumour of cartilage called?

Chondroma/chondrosarcoma

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Key risk factor for atherosclerosis?

Hypercholesterolaemia

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Three steps of atherosclerotic formation?

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Three constituents of an atherosclerotic plaque?

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What’s the first cell to arrive on the scene for acute inflammation?

Neutrophils

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How do corticosteroids work to reduce inflammation?

Bind to DNA - up-regulate inhibitors of inflammation and down-regulate mediators

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What three cells are involved in chronic inflammation?

Macrophages
Lymphocytes
Plasma cells
(and then usually fibroblasts)

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What is a granuloma?

a focal aggregate of immune cells
that forms in response to a persistent inflammatory stimulus.
(usually macrophages/histiocytes surrounded by lymphocytes)

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What are the stages of acute inflammation? (4 things)

Vasodilation
Increased vessel permeability
Fluid exudate formation
Neutrophil migration

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What are the six stages of neutrophil emigration in acute inflammation?

RATCPA

rolling
adhesion
transmigration
chemotaxis
phagocytosis
apoptosis

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What are the four outcomes of inflammation?

PROS

What do granulomas secrete as a blood marker?

ACE (mainly in sarcoidosis)

What are the two main types of granuloma?

Name 3 cytokines produced by macrophages in chronic inflammation

interferon alpha + beta IL1 TNF-alpha

Give the most common type of chronic inflammation.

Most common: Primary Chronic Inflammation Others: Transplant Rejection Progression from acute Recurrent episodes of acute inflammation

Definition of a thrombus?

- Formation of a solid mass - from blood constituents - in an intact vessel of a living person

Definition of an embolus?

A solid mass or substance that is carried through the blood to a place it gets stuck, blocking a vessel.

Describe Virchow's triad

What two types of granules do platelets contain and what do they do?

alpha granules - platelet adhesion (fibrinogen) dense granules - platelet aggregation (ADP)

What four things activate platelets and cause them to release their granules and contents?

Thrombin TXA2 Collagen ADP

Three steps of platelet plug formation?

AAA

Clotting factors involved in the intrinsic pathway?

Clotting factors involved in the extrinsic pathway?

Clotting factors involved in the common pathway? What's the final product?

what's the main difference in composition of arterial vs venous clots?

what colours are venous and arterial clots respectively?

how sensitive is the D-dimer blood test for DVT?

give four conditions that can cause raised D-dimer?

after a D-dimer blood test, what test is needed to diagnose a DVT?

What protein detects DNA damage within cells and can trigger apoptosis?

p53

What family of enzymes are mainly involved in apoptosis?

Caspases

Give two examples of apoptosis in disease

Cancer - damage to p53 gene means the cells don't apoptose as normal HIV - HIV virus can induce apoptosis in CD4 helper cells, can cause immunodeficiency

Definition of necrosis?

Wholesale destruction of a large number of cells by some external factor

What does the body do after necrosis?

Macrophages attempt to phagocytose the dead cells and they're replaced by fibrous scar tissue.

Give three inducers of apoptosis.

Glucocorticoids Free radicals DNA damage

Most organs in the body only have one artery supplying them, what's this called?

End arterial supply

What is adjuvant therapy?

extra therapy given after surgical excision

Definition of hypertrophy?

Increase in size of a tissue due to increase in size of its constituent cells (occurs in organs where cells can't divide)

Definition of hyperplasia?

Increase in size of a tissue due to increase in number of its constituent cells

Definition of atrophy?

- Decrease in size of a tissue - due to decrease in size or number of its constituent cells

Definition of metaplasia?

Change in cell differentiation from one fully-differentiated type to another fully-differentiated type

Definition of dysplasia?

- morphological changes - that may be seen in cells - in the progression on to a development of cancer *precancerous change!!!!*

Definition of a neoplasm?

- a lesion - resulting from the autonomous and abnormal growth of cells - which persists after the initiating stimulus has been removed