Structure and function of lymph node and spleen

Question 1

What causes lymphadenopathy?

Answer 1

• Local inflammation (infection like TB & toxoplasma, vaccination, dermatopathic)
• Systemic inflammatory processes (infection like virus, autoimmune/CT disorders)
• Malignancy (Haematological lymphoma/leukaemia, metastatic)

Question 2

What is a sentinel lymph node?

Question 3

Describe flow of lymphatics through lymph node.

Question 4

How are cell populations grouped in lymph nodes?

Question 5

What are CD20 and CD3 for?

Answer 5

CD20 is for B cell marking, CD3 is for T cells marking

Question 6

What happens in a lymph node follicle?

Answer 6

Naive B cells –>

Question 7

Function of follicular dendritic cells (CD23) vs Dendritic cells

Answer 7

follicular dendritic cells are organised in a mesh work

Question 8

What happens in dark zones and light zones?

Question 9

What can you see in reactive lymph nodes?

Question 10

What are differentials for granulomatous appearances in lymph nodes?

Answer 10

Sarcoidosis

Question 11

What does generalised lymphadenopathy suggest?

Question 12

What are important subtypes of lymphomas?

Answer 12

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas
- B cell lymphomas (low grade/high grade)
- T cell lymphomas (more complex classification)

Hodgkin’s lymphomas
- Less common than NHL
- Also of B cell origin
- Classcla and nodular lymphocyte predominant

Question 13

Describe structure of spleen

Question 14

What is the function of each part of spleen?

Question 15

What might cause hyposplenism?

Question 16

What might cause splenomegaly?

Question 17

What is the triad of hypersplenism?