Pathology Flashcards
What are the 2 types of autopsy?
Hospital autopsies
Medico-legal autopsies
What can medico-legal autopsies be classified into?
Coronial and forensic autopsies
What are the 3 reasons for deaths being referred to a coroner?
Presumed natural, presumed iatrogenic, presumed unnatural
Why would a presumed natural death be investigated?
Cause of death not known, not seen a doctor in last 14 days
Why would a presumed iatrogenic death be performed?
Concern that patient’s care led to death
Who performs autopsies and what sort of autopsy does each perform?
Histopathologists (coronial and hospital autopsies) and forensic pathologies (coronial autopsies)
What questions does a coronial autopsy answer?
- Who was the deceased?
- When did they die?
- Where did they die?
- How did they die?
What are 4 main laws during autopsy?
- Coroners Act 1988
- Coroners Rules 1984
- Amendment Rules 2005
- Coroners and Justice Act 2009
Which law comes into place when coroner has finished with body?
Human Tissues Act 2004
What does an autopsy consist of?
- History/scene
- External examination
- Evisceration
- Internal examination
- Reconstruction
Describe acute inflammation
A reaction to injury or infection involving cells like neutrophils and macrophages
What is inflammation?
A local physiological response to tissue injury
How is acute inflammation classified?
Initial and often transient series of tissue reactions to injury. Sudden onset, short duration and usually resolves.
How is chronic inflammation classified?
Subsequent and often prolonged tissue reactions following initial tissue response. Slow onset or sequel to acute, long duration and may never resolve.
Which cells are involved in acute inflammation?
- Neutrophil polymorphs
- Macrophages
- Lymphocytes
- Endothelial cells
- Fibroblasts
Which cells are first to present in acute inflammation?
Neutrophil polymorphs
How do neutrophil polymorphs kill bacteria?
Cytoplasmic granules full of enzymes
How do macrophages kill bacteria?
Phagocytosis
Which cell type presents antigens to lymphocytes?
Macrophages
What is the function of lymphocytes?
Immunological memory for past infections and antigens
What cell type becomes sticky in areas of inflammation?
Endothelial cells, so inflammatory cells adhere to them
What is the function of fibroblasts?
Form collagen in areas of chronic inflammation and repair
What are the steps of acute inflammation?
- Initial reaction of tissue to injury
- Dilation of blood vessels
- Vascular leakage of protein-rich fluid
- Neutrophil polymorphs recruited to tissue
What are the causes of acute inflammation?
- Microbial infections
- Hypersensitivity reactions
- Physical agents
- Chemicals
- Bacterial toxins
- Tissue necrosis
What infections is hypersensitivity important in?
Parasitic infections and TB inflammation
Give 3 examples of physical agents causing inflammation
Physical trauma, UV, burns, excessive cooling
What are the clinical manifestations of acute inflammation?
- Rubor - redness
- Calor - heat
- Tumor - swelling
- Dolor - pain
- Loss of function
What is a granuloma?
An aggregate of epithelia histiocytes
What cells are involved in chronic inflammation?
- Plasma cells
- Lymphocytes
- Multinucleate giant cell
- Capillary endothelium
- Macrophage
- Fibroblast
What are the causes of chronic inflammation?
- Primary chronic inflammation
- Transplant rejection
- Progression from acute inflammation
- Recurrent episodes of acute inflammation
What are the clinical manifestations of chronic inflammation?
- Chronic ulcer
- Chronic abscess cavity
- Thickening of wall of a hollow viscus
- Granulomatous inflammation
- Fibrosis
Describe the microscopic appearance on chronic inflammation
- Cellular infiltrate [lymphocytes, plasma cells, macrophages, eosinophil polymorph]
- Granulation tissue becomes fibrous tissue, tissue damage & necrosis
What are the systemic effects of acute inflammation?
- Pyrexia
- Weight loss,
- Lymphadenopathy
- Increased WBC count 5. Amyloidosis
What does healing involve?
Regeneration and migration of specialised cells
What are the features of repair?
Angiogenesis followed by fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis which forms granulation tissue
What regulates the cell proliferation processes in repair?
Growth factors
What 2 cell types are in lymphocytic tissue?
B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes
What happens when B lymphocytes contact antigens?
They transform into plasma cells
What is the function of plasma cells?
Antibody production
What happens when T lymphocytes contact antigens?
They produce cytokines
How do macrophages kill organisms?
Lysosomal enzymes
What happens when macrophages particulate in hypersensitivity reactions?
They die leading to necrosis
What is the mononuclear phagocyte system also called?
Reticuloendothelial system
What is a granuloma?
An aggregate of epithelioid histiocytes
Give an example of granulomatous disease
TB, leprosy
Describe epithelioid histiocytes
Large vesicular nuclei, plentiful eosinophilic cytoplasm, elongated
How are epithelioid histiocytes arranged?
In clusters
What is a secretory product of epithelioid histiocytes?
Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)
How is the appearance of granulomas augmented?
Presence of caseous necrosis or by conversion of histiocytes into multinucleate giant cells
What can association of granulomas with eosinophils indicate?
Parasitic infection
What is a feature of stimuli which induce granulomatous inflammation?
Indigestibility of particulate matter by macrophages
What could cause histiocytic giant cells to form?
Inert minerals e.g. silica, bacteria e.g. tubercle bacilli
When may histiocytic giant cells form?
When foreign particles are too large to be ingested by one macrophage, and 2+ fuse and unite
What histiocytic giant cell forms in TB?
Langhans’ giant cells
What histiocytic giant cell are seen in particulate foreign body material?
Foreign body giant cells
What histiocytic giant cell are seen in dermatofibromas of skin?
Touton giant cells
When is acute inflammation involved in CVS?
In response to acute MI and some of its complications e.g. cardiac rupture
How is chronic inflammation involved in carcinogenesis?
Has a role in initiation and propagation of cancer and its progression
When is chronic inflammation involved in CVS?
In myocardial fibrosis following MI
Name a neurodegenerative disorder of the CNS which inflammation is involved in
Multiple sclerosis - perivascular cuffing by plasma cells and T lymphocytes is seen in zones of white matter where macrophages break down myelin
What is resolution?
Where a tissue is undamaged or able to regenerate, and the initiating factor has been removed
What is repair?
The initiating factor is still present, tissue is damaged and unable to regenerate
What happens when the liver is persistently damaged?
- Cirrhosis
- Fibrous scarring
- Regenerative nodules
What can cause persistent damage to the liver?
Alcohol, hepatitis B/C
What is lobar pneumonia?
Acute inflammation of one lobe of the lungs full of neutrophil polymorphs
Describe abrasion
- Heals well as haven’t removed all of the epithelium
- Scab forms over surface
- Epidermis grows out from adnexa
- Sweat glands and hair follicles remain intact
Describe healing by 1st intention
Looks white as collagen is present which is made by fibroblasts
Give an example of how healing by 1st intention occurs
Surgical wound
Describe healing by 2nd intention
- Hair follicles removed
2. Fibroblasts make collagen so get bigger scar
Describe granulation tissue
- Very big wound which looks granular as blood vessels grow up
- Big scar with pale fibrous tissue
What is repair?
Replacement of damaged tissue by fibrous tissue
What produces collagen?
Fibroblasts
Which cells can regenerate?
- Hepatocytes
- Pneumocytes
- All blood cells
- Gut epithelium
- Skin epithelium
- Osteocytes
Which cells can’t regenerate?
- Myocardial cells
2. Neurons
What is laminar flow?
Cells travel in centre of arterial vessels and don’t touch sides
What happens when the endothelium is damaged?
Platelet aggregation: platelets stick to epithelium and each other, releasing aggregating factors causing a positive feedback loop
What happens when laminar flow is disrupted?
RBC may get trapped into platelets
How is a fibrin mesh formed?
Fibrin deposition occurs as platelets release chemicals causing fibrinogen to form fibrin. This holds cells together in a fibrin mesh and can trap RBC
What is thrombosis?
The formation of a solid mass of blood constituents formed within intact vascular system during life
What are the components of the thrombosis triad?
- Change in vessel wall
- Change in blood flow (laminar to turbulent)
- Change in blood constituents
How do thrombus form in veins?
If the endothelium becomes sticky, slow blood flow can cause thrombus formation when blood constituents touch the sticky endothelium
Why are pulmonary embolisms common in hospital?
Venous thrombus are common as people are bed bound
What is thrombus formation in veins called?
Stasis, due to slow blood flow
What is the prevention for thrombosis?
Exercise, stockings, aspirin
Why is aspirin prescribed to over 50s?
It inhibits platelet aggregation so a smaller embolism will form
What is an embolus?
The formation of a mass of material in vascular system able to become lodged within a vessel and block it
What is ischaemia?
Reduction in blood flow
What is infarction?
Reduction in blood flow with subsequent death of cells
What is a reperfusion injury?
When a patient has had ischaemia and blood is let back in, superoxide radicals are also let in which causes damage to cells
How can reperfusion injuries be prevented?
Keep patients in an induced coma when they are adjusting to having blood
Which organs have dual blood supply?
Lungs, liver, some parts of brain
Why is the heart more susceptible to infarction?
It is at the limit of 2 different blood supplies (watershed areas)
When does atherosclerosis tend to arise?
40-50 years old
What is the early stage of atherosclerosis?
Fatty streak - when macrophages fill with lipids
Where is atherosclerosis commonly found?
High pressure systems e.g. aorta and systemic arteries
What is in a plaque?
- Fibrous tissue
- Lipids - cholesterol
- Lymphocytes
What are the common risk factors for atherosclerosis?
- Smoking
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- Hyperlipidaemia
- CHD in men
- More deprived industrial areas of UK
What is the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis?
- Endothelial cells are delicate, metabolically active and produce NO
- Endothelial cells are damaged
- Recurrent injuries to endothelial cells causes micro-haemorrhages which burst
What is the mechanism of damage from smoking?
Free radicals, nicotine, CO
How does hypertension cause atherosclerosis?
Shearing forces on endothelial cells esp. at bifurcation points
How does diabetes cause atherosclerosis?
Superoxide anions, glycosylation products
How does hyperlipidaemia cause atherosclerosis?
Direct damage to endothelial cells
What are some complications of atherosclerosis?
- Cerebral infarction
- Carotid atheroma
- MI, cardiac failure
- Acute aneurysms
- Peripheral vascular disease with intermittent claudication
- Gangrene
Why are blood clots rare?
- Laminar flow
2. Endothelial cells aren’t sticky when healthy
What is the first stage of thrombosis?
Platelet aggregation
What can be an embolism?
A thrombus break off, air, cholesterol crystals, tumour, amniotic fluid, fat
Where will the embolus travel if it enters the venous system?
To the vena cava, through the RHS of the heart and will lodge in pulmonary arteries
Where can the emboli travel if it enters the arterial system?
To anywhere downstream of its entry point
What usually causes infarction?
Thrombosis of an artery
What is apoptosis?
Programmed cell death