Pathology

• What is the role of a forensic pathologist ? 


  medico-legal autopsies

  writing reports

  visiting scenes

  referral work
• What does Locard's principle state ? 


  that every contact leaves a trace.
• What are the 4 types of autopsies ? 


  medico-legal

  invasive

  non-invasive

  hospital/consented
• What are the 4 types of trauma wound ?


  bruises

  abrasions

  incisions

  lacerations
• What are bruises ?

  blunt trauma to the body, caused by ruptures to blood vessels beneath the skin, in the subcutaneous layer. They can indicate when and how someone was injured.
• what are abrasions ? 


  Grazing of the superficial layer of the skin, the direction of the abrasion is visible.
• what is a laceration ?

  a blunt force trauma wound, with greater force than an abrasion so that the skin tears.
• What is an incision ?


  A clean cut caused by a bladed weapon, where no bruises or abrasions or tissue bridges are involved.
• what is the difference between a stab wound and a slash incision ? 


  stab wounds are much deeper and slash incisions have a wider surface injury.
• What is a feature that all clinical or pathological photos should be accompanied with ? 


  a scale
• What is hypertrophy ?


  the increase in cell size without cell division.

  it can occur by itself but mostly in combination with hyperplasia.
• What is an example of physiological hypertrophy ?


  myometrium of the uterus during pregnancy.
• what is an example of pathological hypertrophy ?


  hypertrophy f the cardiac muscle in the left ventricle, due to outflow obstruction.
• What is hyperplasia ?


  hyperplasia is the increase in number of cells in a tissue as a consequence of cell division. The cells remain the same size.

  it often occurs in combination with hypertrophy.
• what is a physiological and pathological example of hyperplasia ?


  physiological -> adaptive increase of erythrocyte production, from training at higher altitudes.

  pathological -> psoriasis - the excessive proliferation and abnormal differentiation of keratinocytes.
• what is atrophy ?


  the decrease in the size of an organ, this can be consequence of a reduction in cell size or number.
• how is atrophy mediated ?


  mediated by reduced cell proliferation

  or by increased cell loss via apoptosis

  -> so less cell turnover
• What is a clinical example of atrophy ?


  Alzheimer's disease - atrophy of the brain

  • the gyri narrow
  • the sulci widen
  • brain decreases in mass
• What is metaplasia ?


  the replacement of one type of mature differentiated cell type with another, as an adaptive response to insult/injury. It is reversible.
• What is a clinical example of intestinal metaplasia ?


  Barrett's oesophagus

  this is where squamous mucosa lining is replaced by tissue similar to that of the intestinal lining.

  • risk factor includes gastroeosophical reflux, and heart burn.
• What is dysplasia ?


  a reversible condition where epithelial cells acquire some but not all of the features and properties of malignant cells, but without the capacity for invasion.
• What may symptoms of dysplasia be ?


  it is often asymptomatic, and is detected by screening or surveillance.
• What is a neoplasm ?

  An abnormal mass of tissue / tumour. Its growth is uncoordinated with normal tissues and it persists in the same excessive manner after the cessation of the evoking stimulus.
• What is the behaviour of a benign tumour ?


  • slow growing
  • never invades local tissues
  • never metastasises
• what does metastasise mean ?


  to spread to different sites.
• what is the gross appearance of a benign tumour ?


  encapsulated or well circumscribed [circle around].
• What is the microscopic appearance of a benign tumour ?


  • rare for necrosis to occur.
  • few mitotic cells
  • normal nuclear morphology
• Why do benign tumours have normal nuclear morphology but malignant tumours do not ?


  this is because benign have very few genetic changes compared to malignant which have lots of genetic changes.
• What is behaviour of a malignant tumour ?


  • variable - rapid or slow growth
  • invades surrounding tissues
  • may metastasise
• what is the gross appearance of a malignant tumour ?


  • irregular
  • infiltrative edges
• what is the microscopic appearance of a malignant tumour ?


  • abnormal nuclear morphology
  • necrosis common
  • many mitotic cells
  • poorly resembles tissue of origin.
• What do uniform cells usually imply about a tumour ?


  that it is benign
• what does pleomorphic mean ?

  What do pleomorphic cells usually imply about a tumour ?

  pleomorphic - variation in cell and nuclear size and shape.

  It usually implies that the tumour is malignant.
• What is anepleuidy ?

  abnormal chromosome numbers in cells.
• what is a carcinoma ?


  a malignant tumour of epithelial origin.
• what is a sarcoma ?


  a malignant tumour of connective tissue origin.
• what is an adenoma ?


  benign tumour of glands.
• what is an adenomacarcinoma ?


  a malignant tumour of glands.
• what do the prefixes mean/indicate ?

  Adeno- glandular epithelium

  Papillo- non-glandular epithelium

  Lipo- fat

  Osteo- bone

  Chondro- cartilage

  Angio- blood vessel

  Rhabdo- skeletal muscle

  Leiomyo- smooth muscle
• What is the origin of carcinomas ?


  epithelial cell origins