PATHOLOGY - Overview

Question 1

What is pathology?

Answer 1

The study of disease in the whole body

Question 2

What is the importance of pathology?

Answer 2

• Understand how a disease works
• Disease diagnosis
• Disease treatment
• Disease prevention

Question 3

What is disease?

Answer 3

Any alteration from the normal, healthy state - whether or not this is clinically apparent

Question 4

What are the roles of clinical pathologists?

Answer 4

To examine haematology, clinical biochemistry, cytology and fluid cytology

Question 5

What are the roles of anatomic pathologists?

Answer 5

To examine biopsies, necropsies/post-mortems

Question 6

What are the roles of skin pathologists?

Answer 6

To examine samples of the skin to identify any underlying causes of disease
- Includes punch biopsies, incision biopsies and excision biopsies

Question 7

Define aetiology

Answer 7

Aetiology is the underlying cause of disease

Question 8

Define pathogenesis

Answer 8

Pathogenesis is the development of disease

Question 9

Define aetiopathogenesis

Answer 9

Aetiopathogenesis is the combination of the aetiology and pathogenesis of a disease

Question 10

What are the two main disease classifications?

Answer 10

• Simple disease (only one aetiological factor)
• Multifactorial disease (more than one aetiological factor)

Question 11

List and define the four different types of multifactorial disease

Answer 11

• 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

Question 12

What is diagnosis?

Answer 12

A concise statement or conclusion concerning the nature, cause or name of disease

Question 13

What is gross diagnosis?

Answer 13

Diagnosis made on the basis of post-mortem examination

Question 14

What is histological diagnosis?

Answer 14

Diagnosis made on the basis of the microscopical examination of tissue sections

Question 15

What is morphological diagnosis?

Answer 15

Diagnosis which summarises predominant lesions/structural changes

Question 16

What is aetiological diagnosis?

Answer 16

Diagnosis of the underlying cause of disease

Question 17

List the normal post-mortem changes

Answer 17

• Algor mortis
• Rigor mortis
• Livor mortis
• Autolysis
• Putrefaction

Question 18

What is algor mortis?

Answer 18

The cooling of the body after death

Question 19

What is rigor mortis?

Answer 19

The rigidity of the body after death

Question 20

What is autolysis?

Answer 20

• The cell and tissue breakdown after death causes by a lack of oxygen

there would be no inflammatory response

Question 20

What is livor mortis?

Answer 20

• Hypostatic congestion (the pooling of blood in the veins and capillaries) after death
• Blood clotting

Question 21

What is putrefaction?

Answer 21

Death tissue is invaded by anaerobic saprophytic bacteria which leads to rotting/decay

Question 22

Describe the two different types of clots that can be seen in post-mortem examinations

Answer 22

• Current jelly clots: erythrocyte clots
• Chicken fat clots: serum clots

Question 23

If an organism has been dead for less than three hours, how would the body appear?

Answer 23

Warm and flaccid

Question 24

If an organism has been dead for between 3-8 hours, how would the body appear?

Answer 24

Warm and rigid

Question 25

If an organism has been dead for between 8-36 hours, how would the body appear?

Answer 25

Cold and rigid

Question 26

If an organism has been dead for over 36 hours, how would the body appear?

Answer 26

Cold and flaccid

Question 27

Define artefacts

Answer 27

A structure or appearance that is not natural due to man-made manipulation