UWSA1-3 Flashcards
Pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension
PAH is more common in women than men and is often hereditary (eg, due to BMPR2 mutation). It may also occur sporadically or in the setting of connective tissue disease or HIV infection. The pathogenesis involves thickening of the smooth muscle medial layer and hyperplasia of the intimal layer of small pulmonary arteries and arterioles. Progressive intimal fibrosis takes place in a concentric, “onion skin” form with eventual development of plexiform lesions. Vascular resistance in the pulmonary arterial system is markedly increased, leading to elevated pulmonary arterial pressure.
To compensate for elevated pulmonary arterial pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy develops, often evidenced by right ventricular heave (detected by left parasternal lift) on physical examination. Over time, right-sided heart failure can occur with jugular venous distension, hepatomegaly, and peripheral edema.

Classification of pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary arterial Hypertension mutation
BMPR2
Alveolar Hyaline membrane formation
Alveolar hyaline membrane formation occurs in acute respiratory distress syndrome, which typically occurs in the setting of acute illness or trauma
Describe varying uterine fibroids
pedunculated
intracavitary
Intramural
Submucosal
Subserosal

Heavy menses and irregularly enlarged uterus
This patient with heavy menses and an irregularly enlarged uterus likely has uterine leiomyomas (ie, fibroids). Fibroids are common benign tumors composed of uterine smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts. They commonly present in women in their 30s and 40s, and risk factors include African American race, early menarche, and nulliparity.
Although most leiomyomas are asymptomatic, some are associated with pelvic pressure and pain (due to pressure on neighboring structures) or with infertility/pregnancy loss (due to uterine cavity distortion). Heavy menstrual bleeding, the most common fibroid symptom, may result from impaired uterine contractility, increased uterine surface area, and ulceration of the endometrium over a submucosal fibroid. In addition, biochemical vasoactive growth factors expressed by the fibroids cause venous ectasia (dilation). During menstrual shedding, the large-caliber venules overwhelm normal hemostatic mechanisms (platelet aggregation, fibrin deposition, thrombus formation) that control menstrual blood loss. As a result, patients with fibroids, particularly submucosal or intracavitary fibroids, can have significant anemia and require blood transfusion.
Menses of endometrial cancer
Endometrial cancer can present with heavy vaginal bleeding and anemia; those with endometrial cancer typically have irregular, unpredictable menses caused by unopposed endometrial proliferation.
Endometrial polyps
Endometrial polyps are benign, intracavitary overgrowths of the endometrial stroma.
They typically cause intermenstrual bleeding (due to intermittent ulceration and necrosis)

Endometriosis
Endometriosis is the ectopic implantation of endometrial glands and stroma in the abdominopelvic cavity, which can cause pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, or infertility. However, because the pathology is extrauterine, patients do not typically have heavy menses or uterine enlargement.

Ischemic colitis mechanism
Ischemic colitis is a common cause of lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage in the elderly. Typically, patients present with crampy abdominal pain, tenderness to palpation, and bloody stool. The two primary mechanisms that produce ischemic colitis are hypoperfusion secondary to diminished cardiac output (as seen in cardiac disease or prolonged shock) and occlusion of the bowel vascular supply (as seen with atheroma, thrombosis, or embolism). The weak lower extremity pulses in this patient indicate he likely has extensive atherosclerosis.
Ischemic Colitis histology
Histologic findings depend upon the cause and severity of the ischemia. Initially, mucosal hemorrhage, ecchymoses, and patchy necrosis are seen. If the ischemia persists and the injury extends down into the muscularis, the bowel wall thickens and becomes edematous. Frank blood may enter the bowel lumen. Finally, transmural infarction is observed, which may result in bowel perforation.
“cobblestone mucosa and transmural inflammation”
Crohns Disease
“Crypt abscesses and multiple pseudopolyps”
Ulcerative colitis
"”Macrophages with accumulated PAS-positive granules”
Whipples Disease
Osteogenesis imperfecta mutation
COL1A1 or COL1A2 genes
Osteogenesis imperfecta pathophysiology
This patient’s early-onset osteoporosis and ocular findings are suggestive of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a rare inherited disorder characterized by increased bone fragility. OI is most often caused by mutations in the COL1A1 and COL1A2 genes, which encode proteins that form type I collagen. This form of collagen is the predominant structural component of bones, tendons, ligaments, skin, and sclerae
osteogenesis imperfecta S&S
This patient’s early-onset osteoporosis and ocular findings are suggestive of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a rare inherited disorder characterized by increased bone fragility. OI is most often caused by mutations in the COL1A1 and COL1A2 genes, which encode proteins that form type I collagen. This form of collagen is the predominant structural component of bones, tendons, ligaments, skin, and sclerae.
The severity of OI varies considerably, ranging from multiple fractures at birth to premature osteoporosis. Other manifestations include short stature, scoliosis, blue sclerae, hearing loss, increased skin and ligament laxity, and easy bruisability. The blue sclerae seen in patients with OI is caused by the decreased collagen content, which makes the sclerae abnormally thin and translucent and allows the underlying choroid to be seen. Blue sclerae are not diagnostic of OI; they can be seen in other rare disorders (eg, progeria, cutis laxa) and can be a normal finding in neonates.
Menkes Syndrome
Impaired intestinal copper transport can result in Menkes syndrome, an X-linked recessive disorder characterized by seizures, intellectual disability, skeletal abnormalities, and brittle hair. Although blue sclerae can be seen in this Menkes syndrome, this patient is female and lacks other findings consistent with this condition.
MCAD deficiency AKA
medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency
MCAD Deficiency Pathophysiology
Medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency results in hypoketotic hypoglycemia after prolonged fasting with nausea/vomiting, seizure and liver dysfunction likely triggered by decreased food intake in the setting of a viral illness (eg, low-grade fever, rhinorrhea)

Under normal circumstances, a prolonged fast will result in a decrease in insulin and an increase in glucagon, resulting in mobilization of stored energy. Glycogen is degraded during the first 24 hours of a fast. Gluconeogenesis is subsequently used to provide glucose, which is formed from metabolic intermediates (eg, glycerol, lactate, alpha-ketoacids) derived from the breakdown of protein and fatty acids.
Fatty acids are degraded during fasting to form ketone bodies, which may be used as an alternate source of energy by most tissues. Beta-oxidation is a four-step process that results in the sequential removal of two-carbon units (acetyl-CoA) from fatty acids. The first step is catalyzed by acyl-CoA dehydrogenase. When the amount of acetyl-CoA produced exceeds the capacity of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, the excess acetyl-CoA is shunted into the production of ketone bodies (eg, acetoacetate, 3-hydroxybutyrate, acetone). In normal individuals, blood ketone levels are significantly increased within the first few days of a fast.
Acetyl CoA caboxylase is involved in
Acetyl-CoA carboxylase catalyzes the first step in fatty acid synthesis and is the major site of regulation of fatty acid synthesis
Glucose-6-phosphatase is involved in
Glucose-6-phosphatase dephosphorylates glucose-6-phosphate to free glucose, which is released into the circulation during glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis.
Glucose-6-phosphatase deficiency (glycogen storage disease type I [Von Gierke disease]) results in fasting hypoglycemia and excessive accumulation of glycogen in the liver and kidneys
Glucose-6-phosphatase deficiency causes
Glucose-6-phosphatase deficiency (glycogen storage disease type I [Von Gierke disease]) results in fasting hypoglycemia and excessive accumulation of glycogen in the liver and kidneys
Glycogen phosphorylase deficiency
Glycogen phosphorylase is responsible for cleaving the alpha-1,4 glycosidic linkage between glucose residues in glycogen, thereby liberating glucose-1-phosphate. Deficiency of this enzyme in skeletal muscle results in glycogen storage disease type V (McArdle disease). This condition typically presents with exercise intolerance and muscle pain.
























































