Pathology Exam 1 Practice

Cell Membrane function?

Separates cell contents from the surrounding medium (extracellular fluid on the outside), and encloses the cytoplasm and a membrane-bound nucleus

Nucleus function?

Controls cellular activities and protects cells DNA

Mitochondria function?

Powerhouse of the cell. Converts glucose into ATP.

Rough ER and Smooth ER function?

Rough: Covered in ribosomes. Helps fold or modify proteins.

Smooth: puts together lipids and makes new membranes.

Ribosomes function?

Builds proteins

Golgi Body function?

Adds final modifications of the products it receives from the ER and sorts and sends these products.

Centriole function?

organizing microtubules, facilitating cell division, and forming cilia and flagella

Lysosome function?

Brakes down large molecules

What are Tight Junctions?

nterweaving of membranes, forms impermeable barrier
(blood-brain barrier)

What are Desmosomes?

great mechanical strength, in tissues subject to stress (skin,
cardiac muscle)

What are Gap Junctions?

intercellular communication and coordination, consisted of a
group of transmembrane proteins called connexons

What are the effects of osmolarity and tonicity on human cell?

Osmolarity measures the total concentration of solutes in a solution, while tonicity describes the ability of surrounding solution to alter shape or tone of cells by changing internal water volume.

Hypoosmotic: Cells that take on water by osmosis until they become bloated abd burst (lyse). The solution contains a lower concentration of solutes than in the cells.

Hyperosmotic: Cells that lose water by osmosis and shrink. The solution contains a higher concentration of solutes than is present inside the cell.

Isosmotic: Cells that retain their normal size and shape.

General function of the cardiovascular (circulatory) system?

Transports nutrients and oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body while simultaneously removing carbon dioxide and other waste products.

General function of the respitory system?

Gas exchange

General function of the endocrine system?

Coordination of body activities such as digestion and metabolism

General function of the integumentary system?

Protection against mechanical injury, infection, drying out, and thermoregulation

General function of the digestive system?

Food processing (ingestion, digestion, absorption, and elimination)

General function of the urinary (excretory) system?

Disposal of metabolic waste, regulation of osmotic balance of blood

General function of the reproductive system?

Reproduce by forming gametes (Sperm and Eggs)

General function of the immune system?

Body defense (fighting infections and cancer)

What’s the auscultation examination?

Perfromed by using a stethoscope to listen to the body cavities.

What’s the palpitation examination?

Performs by feeling on the skin or pressing on internal structures.

What’s the percussion examination?

Performs by tapping over various body structures for sound

What sis Pathology and a Pathologist?

Pathology is the study of disease, and a pathologist is the individual who studies disease.

What’s a pathogen and pathogenesis?

A pathogen is a microorganism or agent that causes disease, while pathogenesis is a description of how a particular disease manifests itself.

What is iatrogenic?

Means a “disease” (aka. side effects) from treatment
• i.e. anemia from chemotherapy, constipation from pain medications

What is nosocomial?

Means a disease acquired from a hospital environment
• i.e. MRSA, Clostridium difficile, etc.

What are disease, disorder, and syndrome?

Disease refers to a condition in which symptoms occur and a
pathologic state is present.
• Infection, cancer, degeneration

Disorder is defined as a derangement or abnormality of function. The
term disorder can also refer to a pathological condition or malfunction of
the body or mind.
• Metabolic, deficiency, deformity

Syndrome refers to a group of symptoms that might be caused by a specific disease, but might also be caused by several interrelated
problems

• Down Syndrome and Tourette’s syndrome

Define prognosis

The predicted outcome of the disease

Define acute/chronic disease

Acute vs. chronic disease describes whether the disease occurs over a short or long period of time

Acute disease
• Last for days to weeks, usually sudden onset and short-lived
• i.e. common cold, flu, allergy, skin laceration, etc.

Chronic disease
• Can last for months to years, can have insidious onset
• i.e. diabetes, hypertension, immune disorders, etc

Define remission

refers to a time when symptoms are diminished or temporarily resolved

Define exacerbation

refers to a time when symptoms flare up or become worse

Define complication

The onset of a second disease or disorder in an individual who is already
affected with a disease

Define the biostatistics terms prevalence and incidence

Prevalence refers to a number of population who have a specific
characteristic in a given time period, regardless of when they first
developed the characteristic.

Incidence a measure of the number of new cases of a characteristic
that develop in a population in a specified time period

Define the biostatistics terms mortality and survival rate

Mortality rate of a disease (also called death rate) is the number of
people who die with the disease in a certain amount of time

Survival rate of a disease is the number of people with a particular
disease who live for a set period of time

What is allopathic medicine?

focuses on treating symptoms and diseases primarily through medical procedures and pharmaceuticals

What is holistic medicine?

utilizes the concept of considering treatments for the
individual’s entire being, not just focusing on one aspect of the person,
including patient’s physiological, psychological, sociocultural,
intellectual, and spiritual when treating the disease

What is palliative medicine?

provides treatments aimed at preventing pain and
discomfort when no longer seeking to cure the disease.

What is osteopathic medicine?

a branch of medical practice that treats the body as an integrated whole, rather than just treating specific symptoms, with focus on preventions and hands-on technique involving physical manipulation of muscles and joints.

Name some examples of intervention in preventing disease development

1. Screening tests

2. vaccination

3. Avoiding risk factors

Define Hereditary

caused by an abnormality in the individual’s genetic or chromosomal makeup.

Define bariatrics

The branch of medicine that deals with the causes, prevention, and treatment of obesity

Define cachexia

used to describe any individual who has an ill, thin, wasted appearance

Define antigen and antibody

An antigen is any substance that triggers an immune response in the body, including allergens, bacteria, and viruses. In contrast, an antibody is a Y-shaped protein that bind and neutralize antigens

Define autoimmune

occurs when the body’s lymphocytes cannot identify the body’s own self-antigens and attacking body’s harmless cells, i.e. rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatic fever

Define necrosis

the death of most or all of the cells in an organ or tissue due to disease, injury, or failure of the blood supply.

Define infarction

obstruction of the blood supply to an organ or region of tissue, typically by a thrombus or embolus, causing local death of the tissue (necrosis). Due to ischemic necrosis.

Define neoplasm

An abnormal mass of tissue that forms when cells grow and divide more than they should or do not die when they should.“new growths” are commonly called tumors, which originally used to describe inflammatory swelling

Define oncogenes

genes that promote cell growth and reproduction

Define tumor suppressor genes

genes that inhibit cell division and survival.

Define contact inhibition

A regulatory mechanism in which normal cells stop dividing when they come into contact with one another. Normal cell growth is regulated by built-in genetic programming and interaction with other cells (AKA Contact Inhibition)

What’s the cause of Cystic Fibrosis?

a lethal, autosomal recessive disease due to mutations in cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) gene

What’s the cause of Phenylketonuria?

an inherited autosomal recessive metabolic disorder
due to phenylalanine hydroxylase mutation

What’s the cause of Sickle Cell Anemia?

an inherited RBC disorder cause by point mutation at
chromosome 11. The amino acid glutamic acid to be replaced with the
hydrophobic amino acid valine at the sixth position.

What’s the cause of Klinefelter’s Syndrome?

a genetic disorder only affecting males due to
having extra X chromosome(s) caused by nondisjunction, resulted in
producing less testosterone

What’s the cause of Turner’s Syndrome?

a genetic disorder only affecting females due to
having XO chromosome caused by nondisjunction

What’s the cause of Down Syndrome?

a genetic disorder due to extra copy of chromosome
21 (Trisomy 21)

What are the 5 signs of inflammation?

Inflammation is a protective immune response that is triggered by
any type of injury or irritant. There are 5 cardinal signs:
• Rubor (redness)
• Dolor (pain)
• Calor (heat)
• Tumor (swelling)
• Functio Laesa (loss of function)

Whats the physiology and treatment of inflammation

Medication:
Acetylsalicylic acid, ASA, or Aspirin is an anti-inflammatory agent works by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis from arachidonic acid. It can also reduce blood clotting by reducing platelet adhesion.
• Caution: Aspirin is associated with a serious brain and liver complication called
Reye Syndrome. Aspirin should also be discontinued 7-14 days prior to surgery
to prevent excessive bleeding.

Acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol), works similar to Aspirin, can reduce fever and pain, but has no anti-inflammatory effect

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (e.g., ibuprofen, diclofenac) can decrease fever and pain and have anti-inflammatory effect
• Caution: NSAIDs can also reduce the production of protective layer in the stomach and increase
the risk of developing stomach ulcer

What is Reye’s Syndrome

A rare, life-threatening condition that causes swelling to different organs,
especially the brain and liver that can lead to organs failure and death

Etiology: Exact cause is unknown, but strong correlation with giving Aspirin or
Salicylate medications to children to treat viral illness

• s/s: Hypoglycemia, confusion, seizures, and loss of consciousness
• Dx: history and physical exam
• Tx: hospitalization and supportive therapy to treat symptoms
• Complication: permanent liver and neurological damage  mortality
• Prevention: Per CDC, NO Aspirin for children <16 of age, prefer Tylenol or
ibuprofen

What’s obesity, and recognize a BMI category based on BMI number provided

Obesity is known to cause low-grade inflammation. Fatty tissues can produce
adipocytokines such as IL-1, IL-6, IL-8. The production of these molecules by
adipocytes, induces the inflammation to become chronic and lead to other
diseases.

Bariatrics medicine is a branch of medicine that studies prevention and
treatment of obesity.

Obesity is defined as excessive body fat with body mass index (BMI) of
greater than 29.9
• <18.5: underweight
• 18.5–24.9: normal
• 25–29: overweight
• 30–35: obese
• 36–40: moderately obese
• >40: extremely obese

What are some problems with malnutrition?

Malnutrition can be due to inadequate nutrient intake or intake of an adequate
amount with poor nutritive value.

When the body has insufficient amounts of nutrition, its natural immune system is changed, altering the types of bacteria that live in the bowel and guts, which
elevates the body’s sensitivity and inflamed intestines

What are the different ways to feed nutrition?

• A nasogastric tube (NG) runs through the nose and into the stomach can be used for feedings if the supplement is planned short term.

• A gastrostomy tube (PEG) runs through abdominal walls into the stomach for
long-term feed

• If the digestive system is not an option, an alternative route is Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) routes, which can be subcutaneous, intramuscular, or intravenous administration

What are some physical changes in aging?

• Increase bone loss that can lead to osteoporosis
• Decreased melanin pigment production that can lead to grey
• Decreased immunity
• Increase loss of brain and nerve cells that can lead to Dementia
• Decrease in gut motility that can lead to constipation
• Decreased muscle mass

What’s atrophy and hypertrophy?

• Atrophy is decrease in cell size; i.e. aging, lack of use
• Hypertrophy is an increase in the size of the cell leading to an increase in
tissue and organ size

What’s Hyperplasia, Neoplasia, and Metaplasia?

• Hyperplasia is an increase in cell number that is commonly due to hormonal
stimulation
• Neoplasia is an uncontrolled growth of new type of cell
• Metaplasia is an adaptive change in cell type; i.e. columnar epithelial cells
change to stratified squamous epithelial in lung and esophagus

What is Dry, Wet, and Gas Gangrenes? What causes them?

Gangrene occurs when there are saprophytic bacteria involves in necrosis

• Dry gangrene occurs when blood flow has been slowed for a long period, i.e.
arteriosclerosis and advanced DM. The tissue is black, shriveled, or mummified.

• Wet gangrene occurs when the necrosis is caused by the sudden stoppage of blood flow, such as in trauma, burning, freezing, embolism

• Gas gangrene is due to dirty, infected wounds from Clostridium perfringens
(Gram +, anaerobic bacillus) bacteria. Often painful and fetal.

What is the difference between benign and malignant neoplasm?

Benign tumors are noncancerous tissue growths in the body. Though not invasive, benign tumors can be fetal when exerting pressure in enclosed space, i.e. brain tumors

Malignant tumor can grow and invade uncontrollably to nearby tissues
with projections and may progress to metastasize in other locations. This
is considered a cancer, and would use “carcinoma” and “sarcoma” suffix

What are some cancer screenings recommended by USPSTF and cancer prevention?

• Use sunscreen
• Avoid unnecessary radiation from imaging techniques
• Avoid heavily polluted air and household solvents
• Maintain a healthy body weight
• Regular exercise, not smoking
• Routine HPV vaccination: Gardasil and Cervarix
• ACS no longer recommended self-breast and self-testicular exam

• Pap smear tests for cervical cancer age 21 to 65 years every 3 years
• Pap smear + HPV tests for cervical cancer age 30 to 65 years every 5 years
• Mammograms for breast cancer between age 40-74
• Colonoscopy for colorectal cancer at age 45 (ACS)

What are some diseases caused by Straph. Aureus?

S. aureus is a normal skin flora and nasal cavity and often not pathogenic.

• Those that are pathogenic can cause localized
skin infection(i.e. Boils) and systemic infection
in the lungs, bones, heart valves, joints, etc.

• Some strains of S. aureus are highly resistant
to antibiotics e.g, Methicillin-resistance
staphylococcus aureus, MRSA

• The toxins produced by S. aureus can cause
toxic shock syndrome and food poisoning.

What are some diseases caused by Strep. mutans and pnuemoniae?

• Strep. mutans are normal flora of oropharynx
and a common cause for tooth caries
• Strep. pneumoniae are grow in pairs and short
chains. It is the most common cause of
meningitis, otitis media (middle ear infection),
pneumonia, and sinusitis.

What are some diseases caused by group A Beta, B beta, and D streptococci (S.Bovis)?

• Group A Beta streptococci (aka. S. pyogenes) are often pathogenic causing strep throat, scarlet fever, folliculitis skin infection, rheumatic fever

• Group B Beta streptococci (aka. S. agalactiae) are often colonize near the rectal and vaginal area and can infect the newborn during delivery. Women are screened at 35-37 wks. It can cause meningitis and sepsis in babies.

• Group D streptococci (aka. S. Bovis) colonize in gut and can cause bacteremia if the lining on colon is damaged

What are some diseases caused by Neisseria Gonorrhoeae and Meningitidis?

• Neisseria gonorrhoeae causes gonorrhea via sexual contact (STD)
• Neisseria meningitidis cause brain inflammation, meningitis

What are some diseases caused by Clostridia family?

• C. botulinum produces toxin that inhibits Ach release at neuromuscular junction, causing floppy baby syndrome if baby ingested toxin from contaminated honey
• C. perfringens (Gas gangrene) produces toxin that destroy tissues, causing gas gangrene
• C. difficile (Pseudomembranous Colitis) produces toxins that binds to brush border of the gut, causing
pseudomembranous colitis
• C. tetani (Tetanus) produces tetanospasmin toxin, causing muscle spasm, tetanus (aka. Lockjaw)

What are some diseases caused by Listeria Monocytogene?

can contaminate dairy products and deli meats, can cause serious sepsis and meningitis

What are some diseases caused by Corynebacterium Diphtheriae?

can cause ulcerative inflammation of the throat called diphtheria, with classic sign of dirty white pseudomembrane on the oropharynx surface.

What are some diseases caused by gram negative bacilli?

• Haemophilus influenzae cause meningitis in infants
• Yersinia pestis cause bubonic plague (the Black Death)
• Legionella cause respiratory illness via aerosol transmission from contaminated water source, e.g., dirty air-condition unit
• Salmonella cause Typhoid fever and food poisoning
• Shigella cause bloody diarrhea and stomach cramps
• Campylobacter jejuni cause bloody diarrhea in children
• Helicobacter cause stomach ulcers
• Cholera cause watery diarrhea
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common cause of nosocomial infections (e.g.,
ventilator-associated pneumonia)

What are some diseases caused by Spirochetes?

• Treponema pallidum causes Syphilis, a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) with painless rash or ulcer. The microbe can be visualized in dark-field
microscopy.

• Borrelia burgdorferi causes Lyme disease. Transmission via the bite of infected tick Ixodes.
• Most active during the summer in the Northeast of the US

What are some diseases caused by Acid-fast bacteria?

• Mycobacterium tuberculosis (aka. Tubercle) can affect lungs, lymph
nodes, bones, skins, and is responsible for Tuberculosis.

• Mycobacterium leprae causes long-term damage to the skin and
nervous system, a condition known as Leprosy.

What are some diseases caused by viruses?

RNA virus
• Norovirus cause gastroenteritis, seen on cruise ships
• Coronavirus cause respiratory infections, COVID-19
• Respiratory syncytial viruses cause respiratory infections, often in pediatrics
• Human immunodeficiency virus cause AIDS
• Measles and Mumps virus causes Mumps
• Hepatitis virus cause inflammation to liver and liver cancer

DNA virus
• Herpes simplex virus causes sore on the mouth (type 1) and genitalia (type 2)
• Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) causes infectious mononucleosis
• Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) causes chickenpox
• Papilloma virus cause warts
• Poxvirus cause smallpox, monkeypox

What are some characteristics and diseases caused by (parasites) plasmodium, giardia, trichomonad, cryptosporidium, toxoplasmosis?

Plasmodium causes Malaria via mosquito vector. After infected the host,
Plasmodium multiple themselves in RBCs and cause periodic febrile
illness

Giardia is a small, pear-shaped parasite that cause Giardiasis with s/s of
watery diarrhea and stomach cramps. They are found in most raw,
natural water. It is the most common GI parasite in the US, mostly found
in Western mountain regions.

Trichomoniasis is caused by trichomonads. They are small, motile parasites.
One common pathogenic species is T. vaginalis, causing acute inflammation
and itching in vaginal canal with profuse discharge.

Cryptosporidiosis is caused by oval shape parasite, called cryptosporidium.
It can infect livestock and humans, causing watery diarrhea, fever, stomach
pain, nausea and vomiting. It is highly resistant to chlorination of water
supplies and can only be removed by filtration. It is transmitted via fecal-
oral and contaminated water sources.

Toxoplasmosis is parasite found in cat feces and contaminated food leading to
blindness in baby

What is the etiology, s/s of Helminth disease: Rounworm, Flatworm, and Tapeworm?

Roundworm
• Ascaris lumbricoides is the most common, known to affect over 1 billion
people worldwide. It is a size of earthworm, transmitted via fecal-oral, once
infected the worm can burrow through GI tracts into circulatory system, liver,
and lung tissues

Flatworm
• Schistosomes cause Schistosomiasis, often found in contaminated
water. Once infected the worm moves into skin, GI organs, and CNS. It
causes chronic disease, malnutrition, and liver failure. Erythematous,
itchy skin rash can occur at the site where the worm infected.
Source: Public Domains

Tapeworm is a subtype of flatworm
• Taenia solium causes Cysticercosis, often found in contaminated,
uncooked meat (e.g., pork). Once infected the worm moves into
CNS, causing seizure and headache.

What are the s/s of parasitic disease Sarcoptes Scabiei?

Sarcoptes scabiei is a small parasite that cause Scabies. They can
burrow into superficial layers of the skin and lay eggs. This cause
intense itching. Their tracks made by the parasites can be seen as wavy
lines on the skin.

• Common sites of infection include fingers, wrists, armpits, etc.
Source: Public Domains

What are the s/s of fungal disease Candida Albicans and Dermatophytes?

Candida albicans cause Candidiasis in oral (aka. thrush), skin, and vaginal cavity

Dermatophytes causes Tinea, e.g., “Ringworm” and Tinea pedis for athlete’s foot

What is the prevalence of pathogenic fungi in regions of the US (Southern states?

Many fungi can be found commonly found on decaying plant and soil.
People can be infected by inhaling dust containing spores of the
fungus. Many are localized to certain parts throughout the US:
Histoplasmosis, Coccidioidomycosis, Cryptococcus, and Blastomycosis

What is the difference between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd line of defense?

• First line of defense is a mechanical barriers, such as skin, mucus.
These membranes block entry of bacteria, virus, and microorganisms.

• Second line of defense is body nonspecific defense mechanism, such as
phagocytosis of leukocytes (e.g., neutrophils and macrophage), immune
agents (e.g., interferons), and inflammation

• Third line of defense is body specific defense mechanism, such as
antibodies and specific sets of leukocyte.

What is the difference between the innate and acquired immunity?

Innate Immunity:

• Present at birth and provides the first line of defense against pathogens.

• It is non-specific and responds to all pathogens in the same way.

• Includes physical barriers (like skin) and immune cells (like macrophages) that act immediately upon infection.

Acquired Immunity:

• Develops after exposure to specific pathogens or through vaccination.

• It is specific and tailored to particular pathogens, providing a stronger response upon subsequent exposures.

• Involves the activation of lymphocytes (B cells and T cells) that remember past infections.

What are the general functions of leukocytes (WBCs)?

1. Neutrophils: Phagocytosis of microorganisms

2. Basophils: Release of histamine leading to inflammation

3. Eosinophils: Response to allergic reactions by producing IgE, fight multicellular microorganisms (e.g., parasites, protozoa)

4. T lymphocytes: Specific cell-mediated immune response

5. B lymphocytes: Makes antibodies

6. Monocytes: Phagocytosis of microorganisms, can migrate from blood to tissues and become macrophage

7. Macrophage: Phagocytosis of microorganisms, produces interleukins, take antigen from foreign microbe and present it to other immune cells (e.g., B-cells and T-cells)

8. Natural Killer cells: Nonspecific defense, destroy foreign cell, virally-infected cells, and cancer cells

What are the functions and characteristics of different antibosies?

1. IgG is the main antibody of immune response; most abundant;
   crosses placenta to create passive immunity, fixes complement

2. IgA is a dimer molecule, found in saliva, tears, colostrum (breast
   milk), and mucous membranes

3. IgM is a pentamer molecule, and of the 1st antibody to produce
   in immune response, involved in ABO blood transfusion reaction

4. IgE attached to mast cells in mucous membranes, if bind to
   allergen, mast cells release histamine and inflammatory
   chemicals

5. IgD attached to B cells, works as a receptor

Identify passive vs. active immunity, either natural or artificial, based on examples

• Active immunity occurs after activation of immune system by exposure to antigen
• Passive immunity acquired specific resistance without activation of adaptive immune system

• Natural form involves being infected by pathogen and recovered
• Artificial form is induced by vaccines (dead or attenuated pathogens

What are the functions of interferons?

• Type 1 Interferon is an important component of anti-viral defenses
• It is a cytokine released by activated lymphocytes, macrophages, and
virally-infected tissue cells, which later bind to surface receptors on
adjacent tissue cells; act as a ‘warning signal’
• It later induces production of antiviral proteins in still healthy cells to
interfere with viral replication
• Act to slow spread of viral infection by allowing healthy cell to fight
the infection

What are the 4 types of hypersensitivities and give some examples of each?

Type I Hypersensitivity is acute allergies after initial exposure (sensitization);
APCs activate T-helper cells, stimulate B-cells to produce IgEs, which later
attached themselves to mast cells/basophils, waiting for another exposure
• Upon the second exposure  IgEs cause degranulation  release of histamine and tissue inflammation
• i.e. (mild to severe) Hay fever (Allergic Rhinitis), urticaria, asthma, food allergy, anaphylaxis

Type II Hypersensitivity: cytotoxic reactions with Ab binds to cell surface
Ag, causing cell lysis
• i.e. Blood type mismatch transfusion reaction, autoimmune hemolytic anemias, erythroblastosis fetalis, organ rejection

Type III Hypersensitivity: immune complex reactions due to excessive
Ag-Ab complexes; inflammation, complement activation
• i.e. rheumatoid arthritis, serum sickness

Type IV Hypersensitivity is a delayed response by T lymphocyte cells
react to antigens, resulting in inflammation
• It is responsible for Mantoux test (TB skin test), contact dermatitis to latex,
metal, detergents, cosmetics, etc.

What’s the pathology and treatments (Tx) for Asthma?

Patho: hypersensitivity to allergen trigger IgE releases leading to inflammation
+ mucus production + acute bronchoconstriction

Tx: avoidance of allergens, desensitization treatment, Stepwise
approach to medications with bronchodilators, and proper education
-Albuterol is an example of short-acting, beta-agonist (SABA)
-Salmeterol is an example of long-acting, beta-agonist (LABA)

What’s the pathology and treatments (Tx) for Anaphylaxis?

Etiology: absorption of the antigen into the blood  IgEs degranulation from
mast and basophil cells; i.e. food allergy (chocolate, shellfish, nuts)

Tx: Emergency endotracheal intubation, tracheostomy to protect the airway,
Epinephrine (vasoconstrictor), anti-histamine (i.e. Benadryl), corticosteroids
(reduce histamine production)

What’s the pathology and treatments (Tx) for Contact Dermatitis?

Etiology: coming in contact with cleaning products, jewelry, paint, plants,
drugs, various chemicals, metals resulting in activation of cell-mediated
immunity

Tx: Avoidance of allergen, symptomatic treatment, topical steroid cream

What’s the pathology, s/s, and treatments (Tx) for autoimmune diseases such as Rheumatic Fever?

• Patho: Usually manifest 1-4 wks post-infection due to approximate similarity of
connective tissues to the protein of the strep bacteria and from inadequate
treatment of Group A Streptococcus infection (i.e. Strep throat)
• s/s: Fever, painful joints, fatigue, painless lumps, rashes, heart murmur,
convulsion (chorea)
• Tx and prevention: prompt anti-inflammatory medications and adequate
antibiotics treatment

What’s the pathology, s/s, and treatments (Tx) for autoimmune diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis?

• Etiology: unknown exact cause
• s/s: metacarpal-phalangeal joints swelling of the hands (ulnar deviation), pain, joint stiffness and deformity due to granulation tissue replacement (pannus) to total loss of joint function (ankylosis). Other complications may include pleuritis, anemia, valvulitis, glaucoma
• Tx: Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) i.e. Methotrexate, and
short-term corticosteroid, routine rest and exercise

What’s the pathology, s/s, and treatments (Tx) for autoimmune diseases such as Myasthenia gravis (severe)?

Patho: Severe muscle fatigue due to auto-antibodies attacking acetylcholine
receptors at neuromuscular junction

• s/s: ptosis (eyelid weakness), extraocular muscle weakness, or even respiratory in severe case to dyspnea (difficulty breathing) and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)

• Tx: (+) acetylcholine receptor antibody (AChR-Ab)
• Tx: anticholinesterase medication (e.g., pyridostigmine), corticosteroid (e.g.,
prednisone); avoid stress, extreme temperature, and overexertion

What’s the pathology, s/s, and treatments (Tx) for autoimmune diseases such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus?

Aka. simply as lupus, is another autoimmune disease, comes in two types:
cutaneous (discoid lupus, only affect the skin) and systemic (diffuse).
• S/s vary between people and may be mild to severe. Common symptoms
include painful, swollen joints, fever, chest pain, hair loss, mouth ulcers,
swollen lymph nodes, feeling tired, and red, facial butterfly-shaped rash
across the bridge of the nose and cheeks
• Tx: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (Tylenol), antipyretic, and analgesic.
Corticosteroid during flare up.

What’s the pathology, s/s, and treatments (Tx) for autoimmune diseases such as Scleroderma?

• Patho: autoimmune reaction that cause overproduction and accumulation of
collagen on the skin and connective tissues
• s/s: thick, leather-like, shiny skin, joint contractures, Raynaud’s phenomenon
• Tx: symptomatic treatment with anti-inflammatory medications, stretching
exercises, immunosuppressive medications