NEET MDS Lessons
General Pathology
Malnutrition
A. Marasmus - calorie malnutrition
A child with marasmus suffers growth retardation and loss of muscle. The loss of muscle mass results from catabolism and depletion of the somatic protein compartment.
With such losses of muscle and subcutaneous fat, the extremities are emaciated; by comparison, the head appears too large for the body. Anemia and manifestations of multivitamin deficiencies are present, and there is evidence of immune deficiency, particularly of T cell-mediated immunity.
B. Kwashiorkor - protein malnutrition - importance of protein quality as well as quantity
Marked protein deprivation is associated with severe loss of the visceral protein compartment, and the resultant hypoalbuminemia gives rise to generalized, or dependent, edema.
The weight of children with severe kwashiorkor is typically 60% to 80% of normal.
However, the true loss of weight is masked by the increased fluid retention (edema).
Children with kwashiorkor have characteristic skin lesions, with alternating zones of hyperpigmentation, areas of desquamation, and hypopigmentation, giving a "flaky paint" appearance.
Hair changes include overall loss of color or alternating bands of pale and darker hair, straightening, line texture, and loss of firm attachment to the scalp.
An enlarged, fatty liver (resulting from reduced synthesis of carrier proteins) and a tendency to develop early apathy, listlessness, and loss of appetite.
The bone marrow in both kwashiorkor and marasmus may be hypoplastic, mainly because of decreased numbers of red cell precursors. How much of this derangement is due to a deficiency of protein and folates or to reduced synthesis of transferrin and ceruloplasmin is uncertain. Thus, anemia is usually present, most often hypochromic microcytic anemia, but a concurrent deficiency of folates may lead to a mixed microcytic-macrocytic anemia.
C. Most cases of severe malnutrition are a combination of A and B usually characterized by:
• Failure of growth
• Behavioral changes
• Edema (kwashiorkor)
• Dermatosis
• Changes in hair
• Loss of appetite
• Liver enlargement
• Anemia
• Osteoporosis
Autoimmune Diseases
These are a group of disease where antibodies (or CMI) are produced against self antigens, causing disease process.
Normally one's immune competent cells do not react against one's own tissues. This is due to self tolerance acquired during embryogenesis. Any antigen encountered at that stage is recognized as self and the clone of cells capable of forming the corresponding antibody is suppressed.
Mechanism of autoimmunity
(1) Alteration of antigen
-Physicochemical denaturation by UV light, drugs etc. e.g. SLE.
- Native protein may turn antigenic when a foreign hapten combines with it, e.g. Haemolytic anemia with Alpha methyl dopa.
(2) Cross reaction: Antibody produced against foreign antigen may cross react with native protein because of partial similarity e.g. Rheumatic fever.
(3) Exposure of sequestered antigens: Antigens not normally exposed to immune competent cells are not accepted as self as tolerance has not been developed to them. e.g. thyroglobulin, lens protein, sperms.
(4) Breakdown of tolerance :
Emergence of forbidden clones (due to neoplasia of immune system as in lymphomas and lymphocytic leukaemia)
Loss of suppressor T cells as in old age and CMI defects
Autoimmunity may be
Organ specific.
Non organ specific (multisystemic)
I. Organ specific
(1) Hemolytic anaemia:
Warm or cold antibodies (active at 37° C or at colder temperature)
They may lyse the RBC by complement activation or coat them and make them vulnerable to phagocytosis
(2) Hashimoto's thyroiditis:
Antibodies to thyroglobulin and microsomal antigens.
Cell mediated immunity.
Leads to chronic. destructive thyroiditis.
(3) Pernicious anemia
Antibodies to gastric parietal cells and to intrinsic factor.
2. Non organ specific.
Lesions are seen in more than one system but principally affect blood vessels and
connective tissue (collagen diseases).
1. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Antibodies to varied antigens are seen. Hence it is possible that there is abnormal reactivity of the immune system in self recognition.
Antibodies have been demonstrated against:
Nuclear material (antinuclear I antibodies) including DNA. nucleoprotein etc. Anti nuclear antibodies are demonstrated by LE cell test.
Cytoplasmic organelles- mitochondria, rib osomes, Iysosomes.
Blood constituents like RBC, WBC. platelets, coagulation factors.
Mechanism. Immune complexes of body proteins and auto antibodies deposit in various
organs and cause damage as in type III hypersensitivity
Organs involved
Skin- basal dissolution and collagen degeneration with fibrinoid vasculitis.
Heart- pancarditis.
Kidneys- glomerulonephritis of focal, diffuse or membranous type
Joints- arthritis.
Spleen- perisplenitis and vascular thickening (onion skin).
Lymph nodes- focal necrosis and follicular hyperplasia.
Vasculitis in other organs like liver, central or peripheral nervous system etc,
2. Polyarteritis nodosa. Remittant .disseminated necrotising vasculitis of small and medium sized arteries
Mechanism :- Not definitely known. Proposed immune reaction to exogenous or auto antigens
Lesion : Focal panarteritis- a segment of vessel is involved. There is fibrinoid necrosis
with initially acute and later chronic inflammatory cells. This may result in haemorrhage
and aneurysm.
Organs involved. No organ or tissue is exempt but commonly involved organs are :
- Kidneys.
- Heart.
- Spleen.
- GIT
3. Rheumatoid arthritis. A disease primarily of females in young adult life.
Antibodies
- Rheumatoid factor (An IgM antibody to self IgG)
- Antinuclear antibodies in 20% patients.
Lesions
- Arthritis which may progress on to a crippling deformity.
- Arteritis in various organs- heart, GIT, muscles.
- Pleuritis and fibrosing alveolitis.
- Amyloidosis is an important complication.
4. Sjogren's Syndrome. This is constituted by
- Kerato conjunctivitis sicca
-Xerostomia
-Rheumatoid arthritis.
Antibodies
- Rheumatoid factor
- Antinuclear factors (70%).
- Other antibodies like antithyroid, complement fixing Ab etc
- Functional defects in lymphocytes. There is a higher incidence of lymphoma
5. Scleroderma (Progressive systemic sclerosis)
Inflammation and progressive sclerosis of connective tissue of skin and viscera.
Antibodies
- Antinuclear antibodies.
- Rheumatoid factor. .
- Defect is cell mediated.
lesions
Skin- depigmentation, sclerotic atrophy followed by cakinosis-claw fingers and mask face.
Joints-synovitis with fibrosis
Muscles- myositis.
GIT- diffuse fibrous replacement of muscularis resulting in hypomotility and malabsorption
Kidneys changes as in SLE and necrotising vasculitis.
Lungs – fibrosing alveolitis.
Vasculitis in any organ or tissue.
6.Wegener’s granulomatosis. A complex of:
Necrotising lesions in upper respiratory tract.
Disseminated necrotising vasculitis.
Focal or diffuse glomerulitis.
Mechanism. Not known. It is classed with autoimmune diseases because of the vasculitis resembling other immune based disorders.
Lymphangitis
is the acute inflammation due to bacterial infections spread into the lymphatics most common are group A β-hemolytic streptococci.
lymphatics are dilated and filled with an exudate of neutrophils and monocytes.
red, painful subcutaneous streaks (the inflamed lymphatics), with painful enlargement of the draining lymph nodes (acute lymphadenitis).
subsequent passage into the venous circulation can result in bacteremia or sepsis.
EMBOLISM
An embolus is a detached intravascular solid, liquid, or gaseous mass that is carried by the blood to a site distant from its point of origin
99% due to dislodged thrombus
Types:
1. Thrombo-embolism
2. Fat embolism
3. Air embolism
4. Nitrogen embolism
Emboli result in partial or complete vascular occlusion.
The consequences of thromboembolism include ischemic necrosis (infarction) of downstream tissue
PULMONARY THROMBOEMBOLISM
- 95% originate from deep veins of L.L
Special variants: - Saddle embolus: at bifurcation of Pulmonary artery
Paradoxical embolus: Passage of an embolus from venous to systemic circulation through IAD, IVD
CLINICAL CONSEQUENCE OF PULMONARY THROMBOEMBOLISM :
Most pulmonary emboli (60% to 80%) are clinically silent because they are small
a. Organization: 60 – 80 %
b. Sudden death, Right ventricle failure, CV collapse when more than 60 % of pulmonary vessels are obstructed.
c. Pulmonary hemorrhage: obstruction of medium sized arteries.
d. Pulmonary Hypertension and right ventricular failure due to multiple emboli over a long time.
Systemic thromboembolism
Emboli traveling within the arterial circulation
80% due to intracardiac mural thrombi
2/3 Lt. ventricular failure
The major targets are:
1. Lower limbs 75%
2. Brain 10%
3. Intestines
4. Kidneys
5. Spleen
Fat embolism
Causes
1. Skeletal injury (fractures of long bones )
2. Adipose tissue Injury
Mechanical obstruction is exacerbated by free fatty acid release from the fat globules, causing local toxic injury to endothelium. - In skeletal injury, fat embolism occurs in 90% of cases, but only 10% or less have clinical findings
Fat embolism syndrome is characterized by
A. Pulmonary Insufficiency
B. Neurologic symptoms
C. Anemia
D. Thrombocytopenia
E. Death in 10% of the case
Symptoms appears 1-3 days after injury
Tachypnea, Dyspnea, Tachycardia and Neurological symptoms
Air Embolism
causes: 1. Obstetric procedures
2. Chest wall injury
3. Decompression sickness: in Scuba and deep-sea divers ((nitrogen ))
More then 100ml of air is required to produce clinical effect.
Clinical consequence
1. Painful joints: due to rapid formation of gas bubbles within Sk. Muscles and supporting tissues.
2. Focal ischemia in brain and heart
3. Lung edema, Hemorrhage, atelectasis, emphysema, which all lead to Respiratory distress. (chokes)
4. caisson disease: gas emboli in the bones leads to multiple foci of ischemic necrosis, usually the heads of the femurs, tibias, and humeri
Amniotic fluid embolism
- Mortality Rate = 20%-40%
- Very rare complication of labor
- due to infusion of amniotic fluid into maternal circulation via tears in placental membranes and rupture of uterine veins.
- sudden severe dyspnea, cyanosis, and hypotensive shock, followed by seizures, DIC and coma
- Findings: Squamous cells, languo hair, fat, mucin …..etc within the pulmonary microcirculation
THE ADRENAL GLANDS
ADRENAL CORTEX
The adrenal cortex synthesizes three different types of steroids:
1. Glucocorticoids (principally cortisol), which are synthesized primarily in the zona fasciculata
2. Mineralocorticoids, the most important being aldosterone, which is generated in the zona glomerulosa; and
3. Sex steroids (estrogens and androgens), which are produced largely in the zona reticularis.
ADRENAL MEDULLA
The adrenal medulla is populated by cells derived from the neural crest (chromaffin cells) and their supporting (sustentacular) cells.
They secrete catecholamines in response to signals from preganglionic nerve fibers inthe sympathetic nervous system.
Clinical & biologic death
Clinical death
Clinical death is the reversible transmission between life and biologic death. Clinical death is defined as the period of respiratory, circulatory and brain arrest during which initiation of resuscitation can lead to recovery.
Signs indicating clinical death are
• The patient is without pulse or blood pressure and is completely unresponsive to the most painful stimulus.
• The pupils are widely dilated
• Some reflex reactions to external stimulation are preserved. For example, during intubations, respiration may be restored in response to stimulation of the receptors of the superior laryngeal nerve, the nucleus of which is located in the medulla oblongata near the respiratory center.
• Recovery can occur with resuscitation.
Biological Death
Biological death (sure sign of death), which sets in after clinical death, is an irreversible state
of cellular destruction. It manifests with irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory
functions, or irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including brain stem.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (Spotted Fever; Tick Fever; Tick Typhus)
An acute febrile disease caused by Rickettsia rickettsii and transmitted by ixodid ticks, producing high fever, cough, and rash.
Symptoms and Signs
The incubation period averages 7 days but varies from 3 to 12 days; the shorter the incubation period, the more severe the infection. Onset is abrupt, with severe headache, chills, prostration, and muscular pains. Fever reaches 39.5 or 40° C (103 or 104° F) within several days and remains high (for 15 to 20 days in severe cases),
Between the 1st and 6th day of fever, most patients develop a rash on the wrists, ankles, palms, soles, and forearms that rapidly extends to the neck, face, axilla, buttocks, and trunk. Often, a warm water or alcohol compress brings out the rash. Initially macular and pink, it becomes maculopapular and darker. In about 4 days, the lesions become petechial and may coalesce to form large hemorrhagic areas that later ulcerate
Neurologic symptoms include headache, restlessness, insomnia, delirium, and coma, all indicative of encephalitis. Hypotension develops in severe cases. Hepatomegaly may be present, but jaundice is infrequent. Localized pneumonitis may occur. Untreated patients may develop pneumonia, tissue necrosis, and circulatory failure, with such sequelae as brain and heart damage. Cardiac arrest with sudden death occasionally occurs in fulminant cases.