PATHOLOGY - Overview Flashcards
What is pathology?
The study of disease in the whole body
What is the importance of pathology?
- Understand how a disease works
- Disease diagnosis
- Disease treatment
- Disease prevention
What is disease?
Any alteration from the normal, healthy state - whether or not this is clinically apparent
What are the roles of clinical pathologists?
To examine haematology, clinical biochemistry, cytology and fluid cytology
What are the roles of anatomic pathologists?
To examine biopsies, necropsies/post-mortems
What are the roles of skin pathologists?
To examine samples of the skin to identify any underlying causes of disease
- Includes punch biopsies, incision biopsies and excision biopsies
Define aetiology
Aetiology is the underlying cause of disease
Define pathogenesis
Pathogenesis is the development of disease
Define aetiopathogenesis
Aetiopathogenesis is the combination of the aetiology and pathogenesis of a disease
What are the two main disease classifications?
- Simple disease (only one aetiological factor)
- Multifactorial disease (more than one aetiological factor)
List and define the four different types of multifactorial disease
- Congenital: disease present at birth
- Acquired: disease acquired throughout life
- Idiopathic: disease with no known cause
- Iatrogenic: disease that develops directly after medical/surgical intervention
What is diagnosis?
A concise statement or conclusion concerning the nature, cause or name of disease
What is gross diagnosis?
Diagnosis made on the basis of post-mortem examination
What is histological diagnosis?
Diagnosis made on the basis of the microscopical examination of tissue sections
What is morphological diagnosis?
Diagnosis which summarises predominant lesions/structural changes
What is aetiological diagnosis?
Diagnosis of the underlying cause of disease
List the normal post-mortem changes
- Algor mortis
- Rigor mortis
- Livor mortis
- Autolysis
- Putrefaction
What is algor mortis?
The cooling of the body after death
What is rigor mortis?
The rigidity of the body after death
What is autolysis?
- The cell and tissue breakdown after death causes by a lack of oxygen
there would be no inflammatory response
What is livor mortis?
- Hypostatic congestion (the pooling of blood in the veins and capillaries) after death
- Blood clotting
What is putrefaction?
Death tissue is invaded by anaerobic saprophytic bacteria which leads to rotting/decay
Describe the two different types of clots that can be seen in post-mortem examinations
- Current jelly clots: erythrocyte clots
- Chicken fat clots: serum clots
If an organism has been dead for less than three hours, how would the body appear?
Warm and flaccid
If an organism has been dead for between 3-8 hours, how would the body appear?
Warm and rigid
If an organism has been dead for between 8-36 hours, how would the body appear?
Cold and rigid
If an organism has been dead for over 36 hours, how would the body appear?
Cold and flaccid
Define artefacts
A structure or appearance that is not natural due to man-made manipulation
