Pathology

Question 1

What are the two types of inflammation?

Answer 1

Acute and chronic

Question 2

Which cells are associated with acute inflammation?

Answer 2

Neutrophils and macrophages

Question 3

What are the clinical features of acute inflammation?

Answer 3

The 5 cardinal signs of acute inflammation are:

• Redness (rubor)
• Heat (calor)
• Pain (dolor)
• Swelling (tumor)
• Loss of function

Question 4

Which cells are associated with chronic inflammation?

Answer 4

Lymphocytes, macrophages and plasma cells

Question 5

What are the clinical features of chronic inflammation?

Answer 5

• Ulcer
• Abscess
• Fibrosis/scar tissue

Question 6

What are the causes of acute inflammation?

Answer 6

• Microbial infections
• Hypersensitivity reactions
• Physical agents
• Chemical agents
• Tissue necrosis

Question 7

What is the cause of chronic inflammation?

Answer 7

Acute inflammation that is not resolved

Question 8

What is a granuloma?

Answer 8

An aggregate of epithelioid histiocytes

Question 9

Which kind of cells can be found in an atheroma?

Answer 9

• Fibroblasts
• Macrophages (macrophages which have taken up lipid are known as foam cells)
• Lymphocytes
• Smooth muscle cells

Question 10

What are the risk factors for atherosclerosis?

Answer 10

• Hypercholesterolaemia
• Hypertension
• Smoking
• Being overweight/obese
• Sedentary lifestyle

Question 11

What is thrombosis?

Answer 11

A pathological process where there is an imbalance in the blood coagulation system leading to local coagulation in part of the circulatory system

Question 12

What is Virchow’s triad?

Answer 12

• Blood stasis
• Alteration to a vessel wall, e.g. endothelial damage
• Hypercoagulability, e.g. polycythaemia

Question 13

What is embolism?

Answer 13

Obstruction of an artery with a foreign body (embolus), e.g. thrombus, air bubble etc.

Question 14

What is infarction?

Answer 14

Obstruction of blood flow to an organ or tissue, typically by an embolus, causing local tissue death

Question 15

What is apoptosis?

Answer 15

Programmed cell death

Question 16

Give an example of apoptosis.

Answer 16

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

Question 17

What is necrosis?

Answer 17

The death of most or all of the cells in an organ or tissue due to disease, injury or failure of the blood supply

Question 18

Give an example of necrosis.

Answer 18

Any of the following:

• Frostbite
• Cerebral infarction (stroke)
• Avascular necrosis of bone

Question 19

What is atrophy?

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Give an example of atrophy.

Answer 20

• Disuse atrophy of skeletal muscles as a result of prolonged bed rest
• Atrophy of the adrenal glands due to prolonged use of glucocorticoids

Question 21

What is hypertrophy?

Answer 21

An increase in the size of an organ/tissue due to an increase in the sizeof its constituent cells

Question 22

What is hyperplasia?

Answer 22

An increase in size of an organ/tissue due to an increase in the number of its constituent cells

Question 23

What is metaplasia?

Answer 23

The transformation of one fully differentiated cell type to another fully differentiated cell type

Question 24

What is a neoplasm?

Answer 24

A lesion resulting from the autonomous, abnormal growth of cells which persists after the initiating stimulus has been removed

Question 25

Give some behavioural/histogenic characteristics of a benign neoplasm

Answer 25

• Slow growing (low mitotic activity)
• Encapsulated
• Necrosis/ulceration rare
• Growth on mucosal surfaces often exophytic (outward)

Question 26

Give some behavioural/histogenic characteristics of a malignant neoplasm

Answer 26

• Fast growing (high mitotic activity)
• Poorly defined/irregular border - not encapsulated
• Necrosis/ulceration common
• Hyperchromatic/pleomorphic nuclei
• Growth on endothelial surfaces often endophytic (inward)

Question 27

What is a papilloma?

Answer 27

Benign neoplasm of non-glandular epithelium

Question 28

What is a adenoma?

Answer 28

Benign neoplasm of glandular epithelium

Question 29

What is a carcinoma?

Answer 29

Malignant neoplasm of epithelial cells - can be papillocarcinomas or adenocarcinomas

Question 30

When referring to neoplasms, what are the suffixes for…

a) Benign neoplasm
b) Malignant neoplasm

Answer 30

a) -oma

b) -sarcoma

Question 31

What is a…

a) Lipoma
b) Rhabdomyoma
c) Leiosarcoma
d) Osteosarcoma

Answer 31

a) Benign neoplasm of adipocytes
b) Benign neoplasm of skeletal muscle cells
c) Malignant neoplasm of smooth muscle cells
d) Malignant neoplasm of osteocytes

Question 32

What are the three mechansims of metastasis?

Answer 32

Haematogenous
Transcoelomic
Lymphatic

Question 33

What is inflammation?

Answer 33

A local physiological response to injury

Question 34

Name some processes that can happen at the end of acute inflammation

Answer 34

• Resolution
• Supparation
• Organisation
• Progression to chronic inflammation

Question 35

What substance is released by granulomas?

Answer 35

ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme)

Question 36

What classes of drug are used to treat…

a) arterial thrombosis
b) venous thrombosis

Answer 36

a) Anti-platelets, e.g. aspirin, clopidogrel

b) Anti-coagulants, e.g. warfarin, heparin, NOAC

Question 37

Describe the pathophysiology of metastasis in terms of the steps that take place

Answer 37

• 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