Week 8 Anatomical Pathology

Question 1

What is the definition of histopathology?

Answer 1

The microscopic examination of tissue to determine the cause of disease.

Question 2

What are the primary functions of the Anatomical Pathology Laboratory?

Answer 2

• Diagnosis
• Teaching
• Research

Question 3

What is the role of a medical scientist in histopathology?

Answer 3

Essential member of the diagnostic team responsible for processing tissue and preparing microscopic specimens.

Question 4

What is fixation in histopathology?

Answer 4

Preservation of tissue to prevent autolysis and bacterial decomposition.

Question 5

What are the common hazards in histopathology?

Answer 5

• Chemical: fixatives, stains
• Physical: sharps, radiation
• Biological: cross infection

Question 6

True or False: Histopathology requires ethical considerations such as confidentiality and respect.

Answer 6

True

Question 7

What are the types of cell degeneration mentioned?

Answer 7

• Anoxia
• Autolysis
• Putrefaction

Question 8

What is the ideal fixative characterized by?

Answer 8

• Preserves tissue in life-like manner
• Does not add artefact material
• Safe for user and environment

Question 9

Fill in the blank: The main contributing elements that require stabilization include lipoproteins, cytoskeleton proteins, and _______.

Answer 9

fibrous glycoproteins

Question 10

What are the types of chemical fixatives used in anatomical pathology?

Answer 10

• Aldehydes
• Oxidising agents
• Protein coagulants

Question 11

What is the main use of formalin in anatomical pathology?

Answer 11

Universal fixative for preserving tissue.

Question 12

What is the first step in tissue processing after fixation?

Answer 12

Dehydration - remove water.

Question 13

What are the steps involved in tissue processing?

Answer 13

• Dehydration
• Clearing
• Impregnation
• Embedding

Question 14

What is microtomy?

Answer 14

Preparation of thin sections for staining.

Question 15

What is the purpose of staining in histopathology?

Answer 15

Provides contrast to different elements of tissue.

Question 16

What type of dyes are eosin and methylene blue classified as?

Answer 16

• Eosin - Acid dye
• Methylene blue - Basic dye

Question 17

What does the term ‘basophilic’ refer to?

Answer 17

Substances that stain with basic dyes.

Question 18

What are the properties of embedding media in histopathology?

Answer 18

• Density
• Elasticity
• Plasticity
• Viscosity

Question 19

What is the function of clearing agents in tissue processing?

Answer 19

Transition phase after dehydration and before wax infiltration.

Question 20

What are the advantages of using microwaves for fixation?

Answer 20

• Controlled overheating
• Rapid fixation
• Good preservation of tissue antigens

Question 21

What is the significance of section thickness in microtomy?

Answer 21

Determines ease of microscopic evaluation of tissue morphology.

Question 22

What is the role of the rotary microtome?

Answer 22

Cuts uniformly thin sections for microscopy.

Question 23

What is the main component of the embedding medium used in histopathology?

Answer 23

Paraffin wax.

Question 24

What is the importance of orientation during tissue embedding?

Answer 24

Correct orientation is important for accurate sectioning.

Question 25

What are the mechanisms by which dyes bind to tissues?

Answer 25

* Ionic * Hydrogen * Van der Waals forces * Covalent * Hydrophobic

Question 26

What ions do cationic methylene blue ions stain?

Answer 26

Tissue anions such as carboxylic, sulphuric, and phosphoric acid ## Footnote Cationic dyes are also referred to as basic dyes, and substances that stain with such dyes are called basophilic.

Question 27

What are natural dyes historically used for?

Answer 27

Examples include woad, cochineal, saffron, henna, and tyrian purple ## Footnote These natural dyes have been used for various coloring purposes throughout history.

Question 28

What is the most important dye for AP?

Answer 28

Haematoxylin

Question 29

From what are modern dyes typically synthesized?

Answer 29

Aromatic coal tar derivatives, usually benzene

Question 30

What is the visible spectrum range?

Answer 30

400-700 nm

Question 31

What causes color in an object?

Answer 31

The object selectively absorbs various wavelengths of light other than those of the colored object

Question 32

What is the characteristic of basic dyes?

Answer 32

They are cationic staining acid substances and are called basophilic ## Footnote Examples include nucleic acids.

Question 33

What are acidic dyes known for?

Answer 33

They are anionic staining basic substances and are called acidophilic ## Footnote Examples include amino groups in cytoplasm and connective tissue.

Question 34

What are neutral dyes composed of?

Answer 34

A mixture of acid and basic dyes ## Footnote An example is Romanowsky dyes used in haematology.

Question 35

What do basophilic substances stain?

Answer 35

Nucleus with Haematoxylin

Question 36

What do acidophilic substances stain?

Answer 36

Cytoplasm, collagen, and red blood cells with varying shades of pink

Question 37

What is diagnostic cytology?

Answer 37

Microscopic interpretation of cellular abnormalities in clinical specimens

Question 38

What types of cells are studied in diagnostic cytology?

Answer 38

Atypical, pre-malignant, and malignant cells

Question 39

What are some infectious agents studied in diagnostic cytology?

Answer 39

Viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic agents

Question 40

What is the purpose of cytopathology?

Answer 40

To screen and diagnose cellular abnormalities

Question 41

What is exfoliative cytology?

Answer 41

Passively shed epithelial cells from body fluids such as CSF, urine, serous effusions, and secretions

Question 42

What is abrasive cytology?

Answer 42

Epithelial cells collected manually through scraping or brushing

Question 43

What is fine needle aspiration?

Answer 43

A method for collecting sub-epithelial and internal organ samples

Question 44

What are the advantages of diagnostic cytology?

Answer 44

Outpatient procedure, rapid collection, relatively non-invasive, accurate, inexpensive, low complication rate

Question 45

What are the limitations of diagnostic cytology?

Answer 45

Less information than biopsy, adequate sampling can be problematic

Question 46

What is the PPV for malignancy in diagnostic cytology?

Answer 46

100%

Question 47

What is the sensitivity for breast carcinoma in diagnostic cytology?

Answer 47

80-97%

Question 48

What are the responsibilities of medical scientists in diagnostic cytology?

Answer 48

Interpreting clinical information, identifying changes, report presentation, correlation of biopsy follow-up

Question 49

What are ancillary tests used to assist diagnosis in cytopathology?

Answer 49

Histochemistry, immunocytochemistry, electron microscopy, flow cytometry, molecular biology

Question 50

What is the function of xylene in tissue processing?

Answer 50

Used during tissue processing, particularly in clearing

Question 51

Fill in the blank: Immersion in _______ is a method of fixation for cytology smears.

Answer 51

95% ethanol

Question 52

What is the advantage of a thin prep LBC?

Answer 52

Improved cellular distribution and reduced obscuring factors

Question 53

What does evaluating the cell involve?

Answer 53

Assessing nucleus size, shape, chromatin pattern, nucleoli, and cytoplasm features

Question 54

True or false: Autolysis represents changes to tissue that occur before fixation due to bacterial contamination.

Answer 54

True

Question 55

What is an ideal fixative characterized by?

Answer 55

Rapid penetration, preservation of cell structure, and prevention of autolysis