PATHOLOGY REINFORCEMENT

hat is pathology?

The branch of medicine that studies diseases, their causes, effects, and impact on the body.

What sources of pathology are listed?

Hereditary or congenital disorders, tumors, iatrogenic conditions, and infections.

What does iatrogenic mean?

An adverse condition resulting from medical treatment.

What is a nosocomial infection?

An infection acquired in a health-care environment.

What is pathogenesis?

The study of the origin and development of disease.

What are manifestations?

Observable or experienced changes produced by disease.

What is a sign?

An objective manifestation observed by a health-care worker.

What is a symptom?

A subjective problem perceived by the patient.

What is a syndrome?

A group of signs and symptoms characterizing an abnormal disturbance.

What is etiology?

The study of the cause and origin of disease.

What does idiopathic mean?

A disease has no clearly identified cause.

What is infection?

Invasion or colonization of the body by pathogenic microorganisms.

What are the four stages of infection?

Incubation, prodromal, full disease, and convalescent stages.

What is disease?

An abnormal disturbance of body function or structure.

What are the main etiologic categories of disease?

Infectious, nutritional-deficiency, congenital, inherited, metabolic, degenerative, neoplastic, immunologic, iatrogenic, nosocomial, and idiopathic.

What is inflammation?

A protective response that walls off and isolates an injurious agent.

What is hyperemia?

Increased blood flow caused by vasodilation.

What are the four stages of inflammation?

Vascular changes, WBC migration, phagocytosis, and tissue repair.

What is acute inflammation?

The immediate early response to an injurious agent.

What are the five cardinal signs of acute inflammation?

Redness, heat, swelling, pain, and loss of function.

What are the Latin terms for the five inflammatory signs?

Rubor, calor, tumor, dolor, and functio laesa.

What does acute inflammation produce?

Exudate.

What is chronic inflammation?

A prolonged inflammatory process.

What inflammatory reactions are listed?

Abscess, ulcer, and cellulitis.

What is edema?

Abnormal accumulation of transudate or exudate in cavities or intercellular spaces.

What is ischemia?

Obstruction of normal blood flow to an organ or structure.

What response may compensate for ischemia?

Collateral circulation.

What is infarction?

Loss of blood supply causing tissue necrosis.

What is hemorrhage?

Loss of blood from the circulatory system.

What examples of hemorrhage are listed?

Hematoma, ecchymosis, purpura, and petechiae.

What is a neoplasm?

Abnormal cell proliferation forming a tissue mass.

What are the two broad types of neoplasm?

Benign and malignant.

What malignant neoplasm types are listed?

Carcinoma, sarcoma, leukemia, and lymphoma.

What is cachexia?

Weakness and body wasting due to severe chronic illness.

What are the four metastatic methods?

Seeding, lymphatic spread, invasion, and hematogenous spread.

What are the three main treatments for malignancy?

Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

What is a butterfly vertebra?

A congenital vertebral defect with a butterfly appearance on AP imaging.

What complications can butterfly vertebra cause?

Instability or alteration of the spinal canal.

What is a transitional vertebra?

A vertebra that assumes characteristics of an adjacent spinal region.

What examples of transitional vertebrae are listed?

Cervical rib, lumbar rib, lumbarized S1, and sacralized L5.

What is osteogenesis imperfecta?

Hereditary brittle-bone disease caused by insufficient Type I collagen.

What is osteopetrosis?

Marble-bone disease with abnormally increased bone density.

What is the radiographic appearance of osteopetrosis?

Chalky-white or diffusely opaque bones.

What is osteoporosis?

Loss of bone density and bone mass that increases fracture risk.

How is osteoporosis commonly diagnosed?

With a DEXA scan.

What is the long-bone appearance of osteoporosis?

A thin cortex.

What is osteomalacia?

Bone softening caused by vitamin D deficiency.

What is childhood osteomalacia called?

Rickets.

What findings are associated with osteomalacia?

Decreased bone density and bowing deformity.

What is osteomyelitis?

Inflammation of bone caused by pyogenic bacterial infection.

What does osteomyelitis cause?

Bone destruction and abscess formation.

What early radiographic signs of osteomyelitis are listed?

Soft-tissue swelling and loss of fat-pad detail.

What is rheumatoid arthritis?

A chronic systemic disease causing inflammatory changes in connective tissues.

How common is RA in females?

About three times more common than in males.

What hand findings are associated with RA?

Narrowed joint spaces and MCP-joint subluxation.

What other names for gout are listed?

Disease of kings, rich man's disease, and podagra.

What causes gout?

Excess uric acid deposited in blood, kidneys, and joints.

Where does gout commonly begin?

The first metatarsophalangeal joint of the foot.

What is osteoarthritis?

Gradual deterioration of articular cartilage with new bone formation.

Is osteoarthritis considered inflammatory in the deck?

No; it is presented as a non-inflammatory degenerative disease.

What radiographic sign is associated with osteoarthritis?

Joint-space narrowing.

What are the two general categories of bone tumors?

Osteolytic and osteoblastic.

What is osteopoikilosis?

Spotted-bone disease with many small radiopaque densities.

What is pectus carinatum?

Pigeon chest caused by protrusion of the sternum and ribs.

What types of pectus carinatum are listed?

Chondromanubrial and chondrogladiolar.

What is scoliosis?

An exaggerated lateral spinal curvature.

What are levoscoliosis and dextroscoliosis?

Leftward and rightward scoliosis.

What is kyphosis?

Exaggerated posterior convexity of the thoracic or sacral spine.

What is lordosis?

Exaggerated anterior convexity of the cervical or lumbar spine.

What is chondromalacia patellae?

Softening of cartilage under the patella.

What imaging finding may occur in chondromalacia patellae?

Patellar misalignment.

What is a closed or simple fracture?

A fracture that does not break through the skin.

What is a comminuted fracture?

A fracture producing multiple bone fragments.

What comminuted patterns are listed?

Segmental, butterfly, and splintered.

What is a complete fracture?

A fracture separating the bone into two pieces.

What is a transverse fracture?

A horizontal fracture relative to the long axis.

What are other complete-fracture patterns?

Oblique and spiral fractures.

What is an incomplete fracture?

A fracture that does not cross the entire bone.

What incomplete-fracture types are listed?

Torus and greenstick fractures.

What is an impacted fracture?

One bone fragment is driven into another.

What is an open or compound fracture?

A fracture in which bone pierces the skin.

What is a Barton fracture?

Fracture-dislocation of the posterior distal-radius rim involving the wrist.

What is a mallet or baseball fracture?

Distal-phalanx fracture caused by impact on an extended finger.

What is a tuft or burst fracture?

A comminuted fracture of the distal phalanx.

What is a Rolando fracture?

A comminuted intra-articular fracture at the base of the first metacarpal.

What is a Bennett fracture?

A fracture at the base of the first metacarpal.

What is a boxer's fracture?

A transverse fracture at the head of the fourth or fifth metacarpal.

What is a Colles fracture?

Distal-radius and ulnar-styloid fracture with posterior displacement.

What is a Smith fracture?

Distal-radius and ulnar-styloid fracture with anterior displacement.

What is a lover's or Don Juan fracture?

A fracture of the calcaneal body.

What is a Tillaux fracture?

A Salter-Harris III fracture of the anterolateral distal tibial epiphysis.

What is epiglottitis?

Swelling of the epiglottis.

What is the radiographic sign of epiglottitis?

A thumb-like shadow.

What is a lung abscess?

A walled-off necrotic lung area containing pus.

What organism causes tuberculosis?

Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

What forms of TB are listed?

Primary, secondary or reactivation, miliary, and multidrug-resistant TB.

What historical TB treatments preceded isoniazid?

Plombage and thoracoplasty.

What is histoplasmosis?

Infection by Histoplasma capsulatum with imaging similar to TB.

What is emphysema?

Alveolar-wall destruction producing enlarged air spaces and excess lung air.

What radiographic changes occur in emphysema?

Barrel chest and flattening of the diaphragm.