Respa Flashcards
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What are the lesions of the upper respiratory tract associated with acute infections?
- Acute rhinitis 2. Acute sinusitis 3. Acute tonsillitis 4. Acute pharyngitis 5. Acute epiglottitis 6. Acute laryngitis
What are the chronic forms of inflammation in the upper respiratory tract?
Chronic forms of inflammation occur due to repeated attacks of acute infections.
Define acute rhinitis.
Acute rhinitis is the inflammation of the nasal mucosa.
What are the two types of acute rhinitis?
- Common cold 2. Allergic rhinitis
What is the common cold?
The common cold also known as coryza is a disease caused by pathogens such as influenza viruses rhinoviruses and RSV.
What symptoms are associated with the common cold?
Symptoms include fever nasal congestion watery discharge and sore throat.
What are the two phases of inflammation in acute rhinitis?
- Viral phase: The virus adheres to cell surface proteins enters the cell replicates causing edema and congestion with no neutrophil exudation. 2. Bacterial phase: Bacteria invade the damaged tissue causing features of acute inflammation.
What characterizes allergic rhinitis (hay fever)?
Allergic rhinitis is an atopic disease characterized by edema and eosinophil infiltrate with symptoms such as itching sneezing and watery discharge.
What is acute sinusitis?
Acute sinusitis is the inflammation of the mucosa lining the sinuses particularly the maxillary sinus often occurring as a complication of rhinitis or dental sepsis.
What pathogens are commonly associated with acute sinusitis?
Common pathogens include S. pneumoniae and S. aureus.
What are the complications of acute tonsillitis?
Complications include quinsy (peritonsillar abscess) direct spread of infection acute rheumatic fever and post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis.
What causes acute tonsillitis?
Acute tonsillitis is commonly caused by streptococcus hemolyticus.
What are the three types of acute tonsillitis?
- Catarrhal: Enlarged hyperemic tonsils 2. Follicular: Purulent exudate over lymph follicles 3. Membranous: Purulent exudate forms a membrane covering the tonsils.
What is acute pharyngitis and what are its common causes?
Acute pharyngitis is inflammation of the pharynx often caused by Ebstein-Barr virus (EBV) adenovirus or β-hemolytic streptococci.
What are complications of acute pharyngitis?
Complications include retropharyngeal abscess and adenoid hyperplasia.
What causes acute epiglottitis?
Acute epiglottitis is caused by H. influenza. Vaccination against H. influenza has reduced its incidence.
What are the complications of acute laryngitis?
Complications include sloughing aspiration of the pseudomembrane causing major airway obstruction toxic myocarditis and peripheral neuropathy.
What are nasal polyps?
Nasal polyps are recurrent infections of the nose leading to polypoid thickening of the mucosa appearing as bilateral rounded masses in the middle turbinate.
What is nasopharyngeal carcinoma and its associated risk factors?
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is caused by EBV particularly in the Chinese population associated with genetic susceptibility and is more common in children and the elderly.
What are the three types of nasopharyngeal carcinoma?
- Undifferentiated carcinoma: Large neoplastic cells with reactive lymphocytes 2. Keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma 3. Non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma.
What is the prognosis for nasopharyngeal carcinoma?
It is a radiosensitive tumor with a 5-year survival rate of 50%.
What are laryngeal tumors and their types?
Laryngeal tumors include vocal cord polyps squamous papilloma and carcinoma of the larynx.
What are vocal cord polyps?
Vocal cord polyps are non-malignant lesions occurring in heavy smokers or singers characterized by smooth round masses composed of fibrous tissue.
What is squamous papilloma and its characteristics?
Squamous papilloma is a benign tumor caused by human papilloma virus (types 6 11) characterized by soft finger-like projections.
What is the most common type of lung cancer?
The most common type of lung cancer is squamous cell carcinoma.
What are the causes of epistaxis?
Causes of epistaxis include local trauma hypertension tumors leukemia nasal polyps hemorrhagic blood diseases and vitamin K deficiency.
What is the function of the normal lung?
The normal lung is supplied by pulmonary and bronchial arteries of aortic origin and is responsible for gas exchange between inspired air and blood.
What is the anatomical difference between the right and left bronchus?
The right bronchus is more vertical and aligned with the trachea making it more likely for aspirated foreign bodies to enter the right lung.
What structures are involved in gas exchange in the lungs?
Gas exchange occurs in the acinus composed of respiratory bronchioles and several alveoli.
What types of cells are found in the alveolar wall?
- Capillary endothelium 2. Type 1 pneumocytes (flattened cells covering 95% of the surface) 3. Type 2 pneumocytes (rounded granular cells that secrete surfactant) 4. Alveolar macrophages.
What is atelectasis and its causes?
Atelectasis is a collapse or loss of lung volume due to inadequate expansion of air spaces which can be caused by obstruction compression or contraction.
What are the categories of atelectasis?
- Resorption atelectasis (obstruction) 2. Compression atelectasis (passive or relaxation) 3. Contraction atelectasis (cicatrization) 4. Microatelectasis.
What is obstructive lung disease characterized by?
Obstructive lung disease is characterized by an increase in resistance to airflow due to partial or complete obstruction at any level.
What are examples of obstructive lung diseases?
Examples include asthma emphysema chronic bronchitis bronchiolitis and bronchiectasis.
What is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)?
COPD is a term used to describe chronic bronchitis and emphysema due to persistent and irreversible airflow obstruction.
What are restrictive lung diseases characterized by?
Restrictive lung diseases are characterized by reduced expansion of lung parenchyma and decreased total lung capacity.
What are the two conditions that can lead to restrictive lung diseases?
- Extra pulmonary disorders affecting chest wall function (e.g. severe obesity kyphoscoliosis) 2. Acute or chronic interstitial lung diseases (e.g. ARDS sarcoidosis).
What is bronchial asthma?
Bronchial asthma is an episodic reversible bronchospasm resulting from increased bronchioconstrictor response to various stimuli.
What are the two categories of asthma?
- Extrinsic asthma 2. Intrinsic asthma.
What triggers extrinsic asthma?
Extrinsic asthma is initiated by a type 1 hypersensitivity reaction to an extrinsic antigen.
What are the types of extrinsic asthma?
- Atopic asthma 2. Occupational asthma 3. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.
What characterizes intrinsic asthma?
Intrinsic asthma is triggered by non-immune mechanisms and IgE levels are typically normal.
What are the effects of early phase mediators in asthma?
Early phase mediators cause bronchospasm increased vascular permeability and mucin secretion.
What are Curschmann spirals?
Curschmann spirals are mucus plugs containing whorls of shed epithelium found in sputum examination of asthma.
What are Charcot-Leyden crystals?
Charcot-Leyden crystals are crystalloid structures made of eosinophil membrane protein found in asthma patients.
What cells are infiltrated in bronchial asthma?
Eosinophils and mast cells.
What are the features of bronchial asthma?
Dyspnea wheezing and chest tightness that last from 1 to several hours which relieve spontaneously or with treatment.
What is status asthmaticus?
A severe condition that persists for days and can result in severe cyanosis and death.
How is bronchial asthma diagnosed?
By high eosinophil count in the blood and the presence of Curschmann spirals and Charcot Leyden crystals in the sputum.
Define emphysema.
Permanent enlargement of the air spaces distal to terminal bronchioles with destruction of their walls.
What percentage of emphysema cases are asymptomatic and when are most diagnosed?
50% of cases are asymptomatic and are diagnosed only at autopsy.
List the types of emphysema.
- Centriacinar (Centrilobular) 2. Distal acinar (Paraseptal) 3. Panacinar (Pan lobular) 4. Irregular emphysema.
What is centriacinar emphysema and its prevalence?
Centriacinar emphysema occurs in 95% of cases in heavy smokers severe in the upper lobe and involves the proximal or central part of the acini.
What is panacinar emphysema associated with?
Panacinar emphysema occurs in patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and involves the lower zone affecting the entire acini including respiratory bronchiole alveolar duct and alveoli.
What is distal acinar emphysema?
It involves the distal part of the acinus adjacent to the pleura and can form cyst-like structures called bullae that range from 0.5 to 2 cm.
What is irregular emphysema?
A common form related to scarring that is asymptomatic and involves irregular acinus involvement.
What is the pathogenesis of emphysema?
It involves protease-antiprotease imbalance and oxidant-antioxidant imbalance.
What is the role of alpha-1 antitrypsin in emphysema?
Alpha-1 antitrypsin is a major inhibitor of elastase secreted by neutrophils during inflammation.
How does smoking contribute to emphysema?
Nicotine attracts neutrophils in the alveoli which release elastase proteinase resulting in tissue damage.
What morphological differences exist between centriacinar and panacinar emphysema?
Centriacinar affects the central portion with sparing of distal airways and is caused by smoking while panacinar affects both central and distal airways and is caused by alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.
What are the clinical features of emphysema?
Dyspnea cough wheezing weight loss; patients may be barrel-chested with prolonged expiration.
Differentiate between ‘pink puffers’ and ‘blue bloaters’.
Pink puffers (do not tolerate hypoxia severe breathlessness hyperventilation) vs. blue bloaters (tolerate hypoxia severe hypoxemia hypercapnia right ventricular hypertrophy).
What are the conditions related to emphysema?
- Compensatory emphysema after surgical removal of a diseased lobe. 2. Senile emphysema related to aging. 3. Obstructive overinflation. 4. Mediastinal emphysema.