Pathology Flashcards
What are the two types of inflammation?
Acute and chronic
Which cells are associated with acute inflammation?
Neutrophils and macrophages
What are the clinical features of acute inflammation?
The 5 cardinal signs of acute inflammation are:
- Redness (rubor)
- Heat (calor)
- Pain (dolor)
- Swelling (tumor)
- Loss of function
Which cells are associated with chronic inflammation?
Lymphocytes, macrophages and plasma cells
What are the clinical features of chronic inflammation?
- Ulcer
- Abscess
- Fibrosis/scar tissue
What are the causes of acute inflammation?
- Microbial infections
- Hypersensitivity reactions
- Physical agents
- Chemical agents
- Tissue necrosis
What is the cause of chronic inflammation?
Acute inflammation that is not resolved
What is a granuloma?
An aggregate of epithelioid histiocytes
Which kind of cells can be found in an atheroma?
- Fibroblasts
- Macrophages (macrophages which have taken up lipid are known as foam cells)
- Lymphocytes
- Smooth muscle cells
What are the risk factors for atherosclerosis?
- Hypercholesterolaemia
- Hypertension
- Smoking
- Being overweight/obese
- Sedentary lifestyle
What is thrombosis?
A pathological process where there is an imbalance in the blood coagulation system leading to local coagulation in part of the circulatory system
What is Virchow’s triad?
- Blood stasis
- Alteration to a vessel wall, e.g. endothelial damage
- Hypercoagulability, e.g. polycythaemia
What is embolism?
Obstruction of an artery with a foreign body (embolus), e.g. thrombus, air bubble etc.
What is infarction?
Obstruction of blood flow to an organ or tissue, typically by an embolus, causing local tissue death
What is apoptosis?
Programmed cell death
Give an example of apoptosis.
Any of the following:
- Formation of the fingers and toes during foetal development
- Sloughing off of the inner lining of the uterus during menstruation
- Cells infected with viruses
- Cells with DNA damage
What is necrosis?
The death of most or all of the cells in an organ or tissue due to disease, injury or failure of the blood supply
Give an example of necrosis.
Any of the following:
- Frostbite
- Cerebral infarction (stroke)
- Avascular necrosis of bone
What is atrophy?
Decrease in size of a tissue caused by a decrease in the number of constituent cells or a decrease in the size of constituent cells
Give an example of atrophy.
- Disuse atrophy of skeletal muscles as a result of prolonged bed rest
- Atrophy of the adrenal glands due to prolonged use of glucocorticoids
What is hypertrophy?
An increase in the size of an organ/tissue due to an increase in the sizeof its constituent cells
What is hyperplasia?
An increase in size of an organ/tissue due to an increase in the number of its constituent cells
What is metaplasia?
The transformation of one fully differentiated cell type to another fully differentiated cell type
What is a neoplasm?
A lesion resulting from the autonomous, abnormal growth of cells which persists after the initiating stimulus has been removed
Give some behavioural/histogenic characteristics of a benign neoplasm
- Slow growing (low mitotic activity)
- Encapsulated
- Necrosis/ulceration rare
- Growth on mucosal surfaces often exophytic (outward)
Give some behavioural/histogenic characteristics of a malignant neoplasm
- Fast growing (high mitotic activity)
- Poorly defined/irregular border - not encapsulated
- Necrosis/ulceration common
- Hyperchromatic/pleomorphic nuclei
- Growth on endothelial surfaces often endophytic (inward)
What is a papilloma?
Benign neoplasm of non-glandular epithelium
What is a adenoma?
Benign neoplasm of glandular epithelium
What is a carcinoma?
Malignant neoplasm of epithelial cells - can be papillocarcinomas or adenocarcinomas
When referring to neoplasms, what are the suffixes for…
a) Benign neoplasm
b) Malignant neoplasm
a) -oma
b) -sarcoma
What is a…
a) Lipoma
b) Rhabdomyoma
c) Leiosarcoma
d) Osteosarcoma
a) Benign neoplasm of adipocytes
b) Benign neoplasm of skeletal muscle cells
c) Malignant neoplasm of smooth muscle cells
d) Malignant neoplasm of osteocytes
What are the three mechansims of metastasis?
Haematogenous
Transcoelomic
Lymphatic
What is inflammation?
A local physiological response to injury
Name some processes that can happen at the end of acute inflammation
- Resolution
- Supparation
- Organisation
- Progression to chronic inflammation
What substance is released by granulomas?
ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme)
What classes of drug are used to treat…
a) arterial thrombosis
b) venous thrombosis
a) Anti-platelets, e.g. aspirin, clopidogrel
b) Anti-coagulants, e.g. warfarin, heparin, NOAC
Describe the pathophysiology of metastasis in terms of the steps that take place
- Invasion: erosion of tissue boundary by enzymes
- Intravasion: gain access to metastatic route, e.g. haematogenous, lymphatic, transcoelomic
- Evasion of host defence
- Extravasation: colonisation of new site
- Angiogenesis: develops its own blood supply
