Week 1: Intro to Pathology

Question 1

Monoclonal origin

Answer 1

Cancers come from just one mutated cell

Question 2

Pathology

Answer 2

The study of diseases that can cause abnormalities in the structure or function of various organ systems

Question 3

Disease

Answer 3

The pattern of the body’s response to some form of injury that causes a deviation from or variation of normal conditions

Question 4

Edema

Answer 4

Accumulation of abnormal amounts of fluid in intercellular tissue spaces or body cavities

Question 5

Localized Edema

Answer 5

Inflammatory reaction, or local obstruction of lymphatic drainage

Question 6

Generalized Edema

Answer 6

Pronounced swelling of subcutaneous tissues throughout the body (anasarca), from congestive heart failure, liver cirrhosis, or renal disease (usually seen independent parts of body (ankles, legs if ambulatory; lower back/sacral area, lungs if non-ambulatory

Question 7

Ischemia

Answer 7

Interference with blood supply and depriving cells and tissues of oxygen. Narrowed arteries such as with atherosclerosis, thrombotic or embolic occlusion. May be minimal effect or death. Collateral arteries may develop to replace blocked ones

Question 8

Infarction

Answer 8

Localized area of ischemic necrosis (dead tissue) within tissue or organ from occlusion of arterial supply or venous drainage, usually thrombotic or embolic occlusion (sometimes volvulus = twisting). Eg, myocardial or pulmonary infarct. May cause gangrene

Question 9

Hemorrhage

Answer 9

Rupture of blood vessel, bleeding from trauma or other causes. May be external. May be internal bleeding; hematoma = pool of often clotted blood formed inside a tissue, organ or space (ex. hemothorax, hemopericardium, ,hemarthrosis)

Question 10

Petechiae

Answer 10

very minimal hemorrhages into skin, mucousmembranes, serosal surfaces

Question 11

Purpura

Answer 11

slightly larger hemorrhages

Question 12

Ecchymosis

Answer 12

large 1-2 cm subcutaneous hemorrhage or bruise

Question 13

Atrophy

Answer 13

Reduction in size and /or number of cells in an organ or tissue, with corresponding decrease in function.
May be situational (ex. due to a cast) or pathological due to innervation, hormones, decreased blood supply

Question 14

Hypoplasia

Answer 14

Failure of normal development with subsequent small size

Question 15

Aplasia

Answer 15

Failure of organ or tissues to develop or function normally, or absence of organ/tissue

Question 16

Hypertrophy

Answer 16

Increase in organ/tissue size due to an increase in cell size and demand of increased function. Usually occurs as a response to destruction of cells that cannot multiply and increase in size of those left in an attempt to fulfill function

Question 17

Hyperplasia

Answer 17

Increase in cell number of normal looking cells (under microscope)

Question 18

Dysplasia

Answer 18

Loss of cell uniformity and orientation (abnormal cell structure), pre-cancerous. May be mild, moderate or severs depending upon the level of cell abnormality

Question 19

Benign neoplasms

Answer 19

Closely resemble cells of origin in structure/function, differentiated, stay localized, do not generally metastasize
Can still cause death, depending upon location/type

Question 20

Neoplasia

Answer 20

New growth cancer/malignancy/neoplasm/tumour abnormal uncontrolled proliferation (reproduction) of cell & subsequent cells

Question 21

Malignant neoplasms

Answer 21

Neoplastic growth that invades and destroys adjacent structures. Poorly differentiated cells.
Can travel to distant sites (metastasize)
If not stopped, cause death

Question 22

Grading

Answer 22

Aggressiveness or degree of malignancy

Question 23

Staging

Answer 23

Extensiveness (present only at primary site or metastasized to secondary sites) Determines appropriate treatment

Question 24

Morbidity

Answer 24

Rate the illness/condition occurs or the condition of suffering from a disease

Question 25

Mortality

Answer 25

Statistical calculation of the expected death rate

Question 26

Epidemiology

Answer 26

Study of determinants of a specific disease in a given population

Question 27

Seeding

Answer 27

Diffuse spread
Cancer invades a nearby body cavity
Eg, lung cancer enters pleural space

Question 28

Lymphatic spread

Answer 28

Especially for breast and lung cancer
Cancer enters lymph nodes and spreads by transport through the lymphatic system

Question 29

Hematogenous spread

Answer 29

through bloodstream
Cancer cells enter blood vessel
Travel to distant sites
Invade vessel walls and infiltrate into surrounding tissue where they multiply
Often on vascular pathway
Eg, GI cancer may metastasize to liver due to portal vein flow to liver

Question 30

Additive (Increased Attenuation) Conditions

Answer 30

These diseases/conditions cause increased tissue thickness, density, atomic number, atomic packing density. Show up lighter on an x-ray image due to more x-ray absorption. Increase technique (amount of radiation required for imaging).

Question 31

Destructive(Decreased Attenuation) Conditions

Answer 31

These diseases/conditions cause decreased tissue thickness, density, atomic number, atomic packing density. Show up darker on an x-ray image due to less x-ray absorption. Decrease technique (amount of radiation required for imaging)

Question 32

Inflammation

Answer 32

Initial response of body tissue to local injury (caused by blunt to penetrating trauma, infectious organisms and irritating chemical substances)

Question 33

Hematoma

Answer 33

An accumulation of blood inside body tissues, often clotted