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NEET MDS Lessons
General Pathology

Valvular disease
A. Generally, there are three types:
1. Stenosis—fibrotic, stiff, and thickened valves, resulting in reduced blood flow through the valve.

2. Regurgitation or valvular insufficiency— valves are unable to close completely, allowing blood to regurgitate.

3. Prolapse—“floppy” valves; may occur with or without regurgitation. The most common valvular defect.

Neutropenia: Neutropenia is an abnormally low number of neutrophils  
Causes

-Typhoid, paratyphoid. .
-Viral and ricketseal infections.
-Malaria, Kala azar.
-Hypersplenism.
-Aplastic and megaloblastic anaemia.
-Marrow infiltration by malignancies, lymphomas etc.
-SLE.

Pleural effusion is a medical condition where fluid accumulates in the pleural cavity which surrounds the lungs, making it hard to breathe.

Four main types of fluids can accumulate in the pleural space:

Serous fluid (hydrothorax)

Blood (hemothorax)

Lipid (chylothorax)

Pus (pyothorax or empyema)

Causes:

Pleural effusion can result from reasons such as:

  • Cancer, including lung cancer or breast cancer
  • Infection such as pneumonia or tuberculosis
  • Autoimmune disease such as lupus erythematosus
  • Heart failure
  • Bleeding, often due to chest trauma (hemothorax)
  • Low oncotic pressure of the blood plasma
  • lymphatic obstruction
  • Accidental infusion of fluids

Congestive heart failure, bacterial pneumonia and lung cancer constitute the vast majority of causes in the developed countries, although tuberculosis is a common cause in the developing world.

Diagnosis:

  1. Gram stain and culture - identifies bacterial infections
  2. Cell count and differential - differentiates exudative from transudative effusions
  3. Cytology - identifies cancer cells, may also identify some infective organisms
  4. Chemical composition including protein, lactate dehydrogenase, amylase, pH and glucose - differentiates exudative from transudative effusions
  5. Other tests as suggested by the clinical situation - lipids, fungal culture, viral culture, specific immunoglobulins

Surface Defence Mechanisms

1. Skin:

(i) Mechanical barrier of keratin and desquamation.

(ii) Resident commensal organisms

(iii)Acidity of sweat.

(iv) Unsaturated fatty acids of sebum

2. Oropharyngeal

(i)Resident flora

(ii) Saliva, rich in lysozyme, mucin and Immunoglobulins (lgA).

3. Gastrointestinal tract.-

(i) Gastric HCI

(ii) Commensal organisms in Intestine

(iii) Bile salts

(iv) IgA.

(v) Diarrhoeal expulsion of irritants.

4. Respiratory tract:

(i) Trapping in turbinates

(ii) Mucus trapping

(iii) Expulsion by coughing and sneezing.

(iv) Ciliary propulsion.

(V) Lysozymes and antibodies in secretion.

(vi) Phagocytosis by alveolar macrophages.

5. Urinary tract:

(i) Flushing action.

(ii) Acidity

(iii) Phagocytosis by urothelial cells.

6. Vagina.-

(i) Desquamation.

(ii) Acid barrier.

(iii) Doderlein's bacilli (Lactobacilli)

7. Conjunctiva:

Lysozymes and IgA in tears

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome
1. Lesions appear as small, melanotic, and freckle-like. They can be found on the skin, oral mucosa, lips, feet, and hands. 
2. May also present with intestinal polyps, which may develop into a gastrointestinal carcinoma. 
3. Genetic transmission: autosomal dominant.

Pemphigus
1. Ulcerative lesions on the skin and oral mucosa.
2. An autoimmune disease in which patients have autoantibodies against hemidemosomal attachment of epidermis cells.
3. Histologically characterized by acantholysis, in which epidermal cells appear to detach and separate from each other, as seen by Tzanck smears.
4. Can be life-threatening if untreated.
5. A positive Nikolsky sign is observed.
Because of sloughing of the epidermis, a red blister forms after pressure is applied to affected skin.
6. Treatment: corticosteroids.

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Commoner in middle age. It starts insidiously and often runs a long chronic course

Features:

- Lymphnode enlargement.
- Anaemia (with haemolytic element).
- Moderate splenomegaly.
- Haemorrhagic tendency in late stages.
- Infection.

Blood picture:

- Anaemia with features of haemolytic anaemia
- Total leucocytic count of 50-100,OOO/cu.mm.
- Upto 90-95% cells are lymphocytes and prolymphocytes.
- Thrombocytopenia may be seen.

Bone marrow.  Lymphocytic series cells-are seen. Cells of other series are reduced,
 

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