Inflammation and Repair

Question 1

What is an Abscess?

Answer 1

A painful collection of pjs, usually caused by a bacterial infection

Question 2

How does an Abscess occur?

Answer 2

When the puss is localized to a cavity (caused by tissue destruction) and it may become “walled off”

Question 3

What is Purulent/Suppurative Inflammation?

Answer 3

Inflammation caused by pjs producing (pyogenic) bacteria such as Staphylococcus

Question 4

What type of necrosis can Staphylococcus cause?

Answer 4

Liquefactive tissue necrosis

Question 5

What are common sites for abscesses?

Answer 5

• skin (groin, axilla, perianal)
• mouth (teeth)
• GI: around gut
• lung

Question 6

Why can it be difficult for antibiotics to gain access to an abscess?

Answer 6

Because the inflammation in an abscess is walled off from the surrounding tissues and there are no blood vessels in the pus/fill/necrotic centre

Question 7

What is the usual treatment for skin abscesses?

Answer 7

Incision and drainage

Question 8

How are deeper abscesses treated?

Answer 8

Surgery

Question 9

What is Fibrinous Inflammation?

Answer 9

When vascular permeability is greatly increased, larger molecules such as fibrinogen can pass through the inter endothelial spaces, causing a building up of fibrin

Question 10

Where can fibrinous exudates occur?

Answer 10

• pleural space
• pericardial space
• meninges

Question 11

How can Fibrinous Pericarditis occur?

Answer 11

• due to an exaggerated immune response following myocardial infarction or cardiac surgery
• if a patient has uraemia or autoimmune disease such as SLE

Question 12

What areas can Serious Inflammation affect? (4)

Answer 12

• pericardium
• pleura
• peritoneum
• spaces created by cell injury

Question 13

How does serious inflammation occur?

Answer 13

From exudation of “cell poor” fluid

Question 14

What is Effusion?

Answer 14

When serious inflammation occurs in the pleura/pericardium

Question 15

What is Ascites?

Answer 15

When serious inflammation occurs in the peritoneum

Question 16

What is a Bulla/Blister?

Answer 16

When serious inflammation occurs in the skin

Question 17

What are Ulcers?

Answer 17

Local defects that occur on mucosal surfaces creating a breach/hole in the mucosa

Question 18

Where are typical sites for Ulcers to occur?

Answer 18

• skin
• oral mucosa
• GI tract

Question 19

What is Erosion?

Answer 19

Similar to ulcers, but do not go the whole way through the muscosa

Question 20

What are the outcomes of acute inflammation?

Answer 20

1. Compete resolution
2. Healing by connective tissue replacement (scarring, fibrosis)
3. Progression to chronic inflammation

Question 21

What is Chronic Inflammation?

Answer 21

Inflammation that has been present for weeks or months. Usually accompanied by attempts at tissue repair

Question 22

What are potential causes of chronic inflammation?

Answer 22

persistent infection/injury
- tuberculosis
Hypersensitivity
- Rheumatoid arthritis, Asthma
Chronic exposure to toxins
- silicosis, atherosclerosis

Question 23

What is Silicosis?

Answer 23

An inflammatory disease caused by silica inhalation

Question 24

What are the different chronic inflammatory cells?

Answer 24

• macrophages
• lymphocytes
• plasma cells
• eosinophils

Question 25

What are Granulomas?

Answer 25

- special type of chronic inflammation - consisting of activated macrophages usually surrounded by a rim of T lymphocytes - often attempt to contain something that is difficult to eradicate such as a foreign body

Question 26

What are Epithelioid Histiocytes?

Answer 26

When the activated macrophages of granulomas tend to accumulate cytoplasm

Question 27

What are Langhan’s cells?

Answer 27

When many macrophages fuse to form multinucleate giant cells

Question 28

What are the common sites for Granulomas?

Answer 28

- lungs - lymph nodes - GI tract

Question 29

What are the potential infectious causes of Granulomas?

Answer 29

- mycobacterial - fungal - bacterial

Question 30

What are the potential non-infectious causes of Granulomas?

Answer 30

- sarcoidosis - Vasculitis - Crohn’s Disease - Foreign body reaction - Malignancy

Question 31

What are Nasal Polyps?

Answer 31

Soft, painless, noncancerous growths on the lining of your nasal passages or sinuses that develop as a consequence of repeated bouts of rhinitis which may be allergic or infectious

Question 32

What is Allergic Rhinitis?

Answer 32

A type 1 hypersensitivity reaction mediated by IgE

Question 33

What are Eosinophils?

Answer 33

Common inflammatory cells in IgE mediated immune reactions

Question 34

What are Macrophages?

Answer 34

The dominant cell type in many chronic inflammatory reactions

Question 35

What are Lymphocytes?

Answer 35

- Major players in adaptive immunity - activated by microbes and other environmental antigens - release cytokines which amplify and sustain the inflammatory response

Question 36

What are the 3 major types of Lymphocytes?

Answer 36

- T cells - B cells - NK (natural killer) cells

Question 37

What are plasma cells?

Answer 37

Type of differentiated B cells - make antibodies/immunoglobulins

Question 38

What is the onset of Acute Inflammation?

Answer 38

Sudden, accompanied by 1 or more cardinal signs: - redness - swelling - heat - pain - limited function

Question 39

What is the duration of Acute Inflammation?

Answer 39

Hours to days

Question 40

What is the major cell type of Acute Inflammation?

Answer 40

Neutrophils

Question 41

What is the morphology of Acute Inflammation?

Answer 41

Vascular and exudative changes

Question 42

What are some examples of Acute Inflammation?

Answer 42

- cut or scrape - bee sting - Acute pneumonia

Question 43

What is the onset of Chronic Inflammation?

Answer 43

Occurs if the injurious agent persists or organism is not eradicated from body

Question 44

What is the duration of Chronic Inflammation?

Answer 44

Weeks to months

Question 45

What is the major cell type of Chronic Inflammation?

Answer 45

Increase in macrophages, lymphocytes, plasma cells and eosinophils

Question 46

What is the morphology of Chronic Inflammation?

Answer 46

Proliferation of connective tissue and vessels

Question 47

What are some examples of Chronic Inflammation?

Answer 47

- wood splinter - tuberculosis - syphilis - fungal - rheumatoid arthritis - asthma