Pathology Definitions

Question 1

Define infective endocarditis

Answer 1

Inflammation of the endocardial surface of the heart and valves, due to certain micro-organisms

Question 2

Define ulcerative colitis

Answer 2

Inflammatory bowel disease affecting the colon in the form of colitis, with characteristic ulcers

Question 3

Define proto-oncogene

Answer 3

Normal cellular gene whose products promote cell proliferation

Question 4

Define oncogene

Answer 4

Mutated or over expressed proto-oncogenes, which function autonomously, having lost dependence on normal growth promoting signals

Question 5

Define tumour suppressor gene

Answer 5

Normal gene whose absence can lead to development of cancer, as they act as gatekeepers which inhibit proliferation, or promote cell death of cells with damaged DNA

Question 6

Define FAP

Answer 6

Autosomal dominant condition, characterised by loss of APC tumour suppressor gene, leading to development of hundreds of colonic polyps, with 100% risk of cancer by the age of 30yrs

Question 7

Define endometriosis

Answer 7

Ectopic endometrial tissue outside the uterus

Question 8

Define dysplasia

Answer 8

Disordered cellular development characterised by increased mitoses and pleomorphism WITHOUT ability to invade the basement membrane

Question 9

Define abscess

Answer 9

Local collection of pus cells surrounded by fibrous or granulation tissue
May be caused by seeding of pyogenic organisms into a tissue, or secondary infection of necrotic foci

Question 10

Define pus

Answer 10

Collection of neutrophils with dead or dying micro-organisms

Question 11

Define ulcer

Answer 11

Lesion of skin or mucous membrane due to gradual disintegration of surface epithelial cells

Question 12

Define healing by secondary intention

Answer 12

Secondary healing due to re-epithelialisation and contraction

Question 13

Define giant cell

Answer 13

Multinucleated cells derived from the fusion of multiple activated macrophages to form a granuloma

Question 14

Define contact tracing

Answer 14

Identification and diagnosis of persons who may have come into contact with an infected person

Question 15

Define granuloma

Answer 15

Organised collection of macrophages fusing to form langerhans giant cells. Often formed when immune system attempts to wall off substances that it identifies as foreign, but is unable to eliminate

Question 16

Define ARDS

Answer 16

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Diffuse alveolar damage + lung capillary endothelial injury

Question 17

Define malignant melanoma

Answer 17

Malignant neoplasm of melanocytes

Question 18

Define immune checkpoint inhibitors

Answer 18

Antibodies which interfere with function of proteins on T-lymphocytes, causing cytotoxic T-cell responsiveness. Used to stabilise metastatic disease

Question 19

Define HER2

Answer 19

Transmembrane epidermal growth factor
Overexpressed in 15% Breast Ca
Associated with bad prognosis
Treated with Herceptin (Trastuzumab)

Question 20

Define H pylori

Answer 20

Gram negative microaerophilic spiral bacteria found in the stomach

Question 21

Define frozen section

Answer 21

Pathological laboratory procedure to perform rapid microscopic analysis of a specimen, often intra-operatively

Question 22

Define crypto-orchidism

Answer 22

Complete or partial failure of the intra-abdominal testes to descend into scrotal sac
Associated with testicular dysfunction and increased risk of ca

Question 23

Define metastasis

Answer 23

Survival and growth of cells distant from their primary origin

Question 24

Define choriocarcinoma

Answer 24

Highly metastatic form of testicular ca
Composed of syncytiotrophoblasts and cytotrophoblasts
Tumour marker β-hCG

Question 25

Define multiple myeloma

Answer 25

Plasma cell neoplasm, associated hypercalcaemia, renal failure, anaemia and lytic bone lesions Produces large amount of IgA + IgG

Question 26

Define bence jones proteins

Answer 26

Monoclonal globulin proteins or immunoglobulin light chains found in the urine Present in 2/3rds of multiple myeloma cases

Question 27

Define gangrene

Answer 27

Type of necrosis characterised by critically insufficient blood supply

Question 28

Define necrosis

Answer 28

'Accidental' and unregulated cell death resulting to damage to cell membranes and loss of ion homeostasis

Question 29

Define atherosclerosis

Answer 29

Pathological process of the vasculature, in which artery walls become thickened due to accumulation of fatty materials such as cholesterol

Question 30

Define thrombus

Answer 30

Solid material formed from the constituents of blood, within flowing blood

Question 31

Define DIC

Answer 31

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation Pathological consumptive coagulopathy Due to activation of coagulation and fibrinolytic systems Leading to widespread haemorrhage and formation of micro thrombi in many organs, with the consumption of clotting factors and platelets

Question 32

Define group cross matching

Answer 32

Testing of donor red cells against recipient serum | To detect incompatibility in which antibodies in recipient cause haemolysis of donor cells

Question 33

Define hyperplasia

Answer 33

Increase in number of cells in tissue or organ in response to a stimulus

Question 34

Define two hit hypothesis

Answer 34

Most loss-of function mutations in tumour suppressor genes are RECESSIVE In order for a cell to become cancerous, BOTH the cells tumour suppressor genes must be mutated

Question 35

Define telomere

Answer 35

Region of repetitive nucleotide sequences at each end of chromosome, which protects the end of the chromosome from degradation or from fusion with neighbouring chromosome

Question 36

Define apoptosis

Answer 36

Programmed cell death

Question 37

Define Mohs micrographic surgery

Answer 37

Serial tangential horizontal sections are taken and examined histologically until all margins are clear

Question 38

Define pleomorphic

Answer 38

More than one distinct form of a natural object = histological diversity

Question 39

Define cytology

Answer 39

Study of CELLULAR structure and function

Question 40

Define histology

Answer 40

Study of TISSUE under a microscope

Question 41

Define sequestrum

Answer 41

A piece of dead bone that has become separated from surrounding bone, during process of necrosis Sequelae of osteomyelitis

Question 42

Define involucrum

Answer 42

Reactive lamellar bone depositions forming shell of living tissue around sequestrum

Question 43

Define haemolysis

Answer 43

Rupture/lysis of RBCs and release of their contents into surrounding fluid

Question 44

Define Barrett's oesophagus

Answer 44

Metaplasia of stratified squamous oesophageal epithelia to gastric columnar epithelia

Question 45

Define troponin

Answer 45

Complex of 3 regulatory proteins (Trop C, I, T) that is integral to muscle contraction Cardiac and skeletal muscle

Question 46

Define IHC

Answer 46

Immunohistochemistry Method of localising specific antigens in tissues or cells based on antigen-antibody recognition Antibodies linked to enzyme or fluorescent dye

Question 47

Define carcinoma

Answer 47

Type of cancer originating in epithelial cells

Question 48

Define melanosis coli

Answer 48

Disorder of pigmentation of the wall of the colon | Benign, may have no significant correlation with disease

Question 49

Define adenoma

Answer 49

Benign tumour formed from glandular structures in epithelial tissue

Question 50

Define haemorrhoids

Answer 50

Swollen or inflamed anal cushions

Question 51

Define cellulitis

Answer 51

Spreading bacterial infection of the skin affecting the dermis and subcutaneous fat Characterised by warmth, swelling, pain and erythema

Question 52

Define GIST

Answer 52

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour Most common mesenchymal tumour of abdomen, usually in stomach Arise from benign pacemaker cells (interstitial cells of Cajal) Due to mutation in tyrosine kinase cKIT oncogene and PDGFRA (platelet derived growth factor receptor α)

Question 53

Define CD117

Answer 53

cKIT Transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor Marker of GIST

Question 54

Define adenocarcinoma

Answer 54

Malignant tumour formed from glandular tissue in epithelial tissue

Question 55

Define emphysema

Answer 55

Abnormal permanent enlargement of air spaces distal to terminal bronchioles Destruction of alveolar walls WITHOUT obvious fibrosis

Question 56

Define HCV

Answer 56

Hepatitis C | Infectious disease caused by hepatitis C virus, primarily affecting the liver

Question 57

Define retrovirus

Answer 57

Type of virus that inserts a copy of its RNA genome into the DNA of its host cell that it invades, changing the genome of that cell