more bits and bobs from paul brown

Question 1

progesterone changes the endometrium into the ____

Answer 1

decidua

Question 2

changes between endometrium and decidua

Answer 2

increased vascularity and the glands and vessels between stromal cells enlarge and become procoagulant

Question 3

what about the decidua stops bleeding

Answer 3

it is procoagulant

Question 4

what cells are on the outside of the fertilised egg

Answer 4

trophoblasts

Question 5

what is the outermost edge of the egg called that will go on to form the placenta

Answer 5

the chorion

Question 6

what cells produce B-hCG

Answer 6

trophoblast cells, on outside of fertilised egg

Question 7

what does B-hCG stand for

Answer 7

beta-huma chorionic gonadotrophin

Question 8

target of B-hCG

Answer 8

corpus luteum

Question 9

action of B-hCG

Answer 9

stimulates corpus luteum to produce progesterone and keep decidua viable for egg

Question 10

what is B-hCG used for clinically

Answer 10

pregnancy test, can be detected around 11 days from conception

Question 11

what do trophoblasts do once the egg in implanted in the uterine wall (decidua)

Answer 11

stream off to invade mother’s blood vessels and link them up with those of the fetus. They then cover the chorionic villi as they project out into the mothers circulation

Question 12

function of decidual stromal cells in the vascularising of the fertilised egg in the decidua

Answer 12

they surround those first trophoblasts reaching for the mother’s vessels and prevents bleeding through their procoagulantness

Question 13

list 3 broad causes of a miscarriage

Answer 13

chromosomal abnormality, infection or maternal issue

Question 14

if a woman who is pregnant has a vaginal bleed, what does this tend to mean

Answer 14

miscarriage

Question 15

what immunesupressant can be used to treat an ectopic pregnancy

Answer 15

methotrexate

Question 16

true/false in an ectopic pregnancy the endometrium in thin

Answer 16

false - thickened from trophoblast making B-hCG stimulating corpus luteum to make progesterone

Question 17

most common site of ectopic pregnancy

Answer 17

ampulla of fallopian tube

Question 18

what cell type isn’t prevelant in the fallopian tube that makes it vulnerable to haemorrhage and rupture

Answer 18

decidual stromal cells

Question 19

how does a molar pregnancy differ from a normal one on microscopy

Answer 19

many many more chorionic villi and overgrowth of trophoblast cells

Question 20

true/false in a molar pregnancy there is a fetus

Answer 20

false - missing mum’s genes for fetal growth

Question 21

explain molar pregnancy

Answer 21

should normally have one set of mum genes altered (methylated) to promote fetal growth and one set of dad genes altered to promote trophoblast and hence placental growth.
Missing mums and 2x dads so overgrowth of placenta

Question 22

consequence of molar pregnancy

Answer 22

cancer (molar pregnancy is precancer of trophoblast cells)

Question 23

what cancer can molar pregnancy give rise to

Answer 23

choriocarcinoma

Question 24

treatment for a persistent molar pregnancy (i.e. BhCG stays high)

Answer 24

methotrexate