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General Pathology - NEETMDS- courses
NEET MDS Lessons
General Pathology

A dermatofibroma is a benign tumor of the dermis, MC located on the lower extremity, where it has a nodular, pigmented appearance.
 - composed of benign histiocytes.

Wilson’s disease

Caused by a decrease in ceruloplasmin, a serum protein that binds copper, resulting in metastatic copper deposits.

Common organs affected include:

(1) Liver, leading to cirrhosis.

(2) Basal ganglia.

(3) Cornea, where Kayser-Fleischer rings (greenish rings around the cornea) are observed.

Nevus
1. Commonly known as moles.
2. A benign, pigmented tumor of melanocytes, found deep within connective tissue.
3. Types of skin nevi:
a. Junctional nevus—found in the epidermis.
It is the only type of nevus that may be considered to be premalignant.
b. Compound nevus—found in both the epidermis and underlying dermis.
c. Intraepidermal nevus—found in the dermis.

Herpes simplex is subdivided into type 1 and 2, the former usually developing lesions around the lips and mouth and the latter producing vesicular lesions in the genital region 
 - contracted by physical contact; incubation 2-10 days.
 - primary HSV I usually is accompanied by systemic signs of fever and Lymphadenopathy, while recurrent herpes is not associate with systemic signs.
 - dentists often become infected by contact with patient saliva and often develop extremely painful infections on the fingers (herpetic whitlow).
 - Herpes viruses remain dormant in sensory ganglia and are reactivated by stress, sunlight, menses, etc. 

 - Herpes gingivostomatitis is MC primary HSV 1 infectionÆpainful, vesicular eruptions that may extend for the tongue to the retropharynx.
 - Herpes keratoconjunctivitis (HSV 1)
 - Kaposi's varicelliform eruption refers to an HSV 1 infection superimposed on a previous dermatitis, usually in an immunodeficient person.
 - laboratory: culture; ELISA test on vesicle fluid; intranuclear inclusions within multinucleated squamous cells in scrapings (Tzanck preps) of vesicular lesions. 

SHOCK

Definition. It is a clinical state of acute inadequacy of perfusion to tissues due to fall in effective circulating blood volume.

This inadequacy can be caused by :

  • Increased vascular capacity
  • Decreased blood volume
  • Altered distribution of available blood
  • Defective pumping system

Causes:

(1) Hypovolemic

  • Massive hamorrhage (external or  internal).
  • Loss of plasma as in bums.
  • Dehydration due to severe vomiting, diarrhea  diabetic coma.
  • Generalized capillary permeability as in anaphylaxis.

 (2) Cardiogenic

  • Myocardial infarction.
  • Pulmonary embolism.
  • Cardiac tamponade

(3) Peripheral pooling:

  • Endotoxic shock.
  • Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).

(4) Neurogenic:

  • Syncope.
  • Contributory factor in trauma, bums etc.

Metabolic changes in shock

  • Hyperglycaemia due to glycogenolysis.
  • Increased blood lactate and pyruvate due to anaerobic glycolysis. This results in metabolic acidosis.
  • Protein catabolism and increased  blood urea.
  • Interference with enzyme systems.

 Organs involved in shock

(1) Kidneys:

  • Renal tubular necrosis.
  • Cortical necrosis.

(2) Lungs:

  • Oedema, congestion and haemorrhage.
  • Microthrombi.

(3) G.I.T. :

  • Mucosal oedema.
  • Ulceration and haemorrhage

(4) Degeneration and focal necrosis in:

  • Heart.
  • Liver.
  • Adrenals

(5) Anoxic encephalopathy

Rheumatic fever

Before antibiotic therapy, this was the most common cause of valvular disease.
1. Usually preceded by a group A streptococci respiratory infection; for example, strep throat.
2. All three layers of the heart may be affected. The pathologic findings include Aschoff bodies, which are areas of focal necrosis surrounded by a dense inflammatory infiltration.

3. Most commonly affects the mitral valve, resulting in mitral valve stenosis, regurgitation, or both.

The Specific Immune Response

Definition

The immune response comprises all the phenomenon resulting from specific interaction of cells of the immune-system with antigen. As a consequence of this interaction cells  appear that mediate cellular immune response as well cells that synthesis and secrete immunoglobulins

Hence the immune response has 2 components.

1. Cell mediated immunity (CMI).

2:. Humoral immunity (antibodies)

(I) Macrophages. Constituent of the M. P. S. These engulf the antigenic material.

(i) Most of the engulfed antigen is destroyed to' prevent a high dose paralysis of the Immune competent cells.

(ii) Some of it persists in the macrophage, retaining immunogenecity for continued stimulus to the immune system.

(iii)The antigenic information is passed on to  effectors cells. There are two proposed mechanisms for this:

(a) As messenger RNA with code for the specific antibody.

(b) As antigen-RNA complexes.

(2) Lymphocytes. There are 2 main classes recognized by surface characteristics.

(A) T-Lymyhocytes (thymus dependant) :- These are responsible for cellular immunity . On exposure to antigen 

  • They transform to immunoblasts  which divide to form the effectors cells.
  • They secrete lymphokines These are
    • Monocyte migration inhibition factor
    • Macrophage activation factor
    • Chemotactic factor
    • Mitogenic factor
    • Transfer factor
    • Lymphotoxin which kills target cell
    • Interferon.
    • Inflammatory factor which increases permeability. .
  • Some remain as 1onglived memory cell for a  quicker recognition on re-exposure
  • They also modify immune response by other lymphocytes in the form of “T – helper cells “ and “T-suppressor” cells
  • They are responsible for graft rejection

(B) B-Lymphocytes (Bursa dependent). In birds the Bursa of Fabricious controls

these cells. In man, its role is taken up by," gut associated lymphoid tissue)

(i) They are responsible for antibody synthesis. On stimulation they undergo blastic transformation and then differentiation to plasma cells, the site of immunoglobulin synthesis.

(ii) They also form memory cells. But these are probably short lived.

(C) In addition to T & B lymphocytes, there are some lymphocytes without the surface markers of either of them. These are 'null' cells-the-natural Killer (N,K.) cells and cells responsible for antibody dependent cellular-cytotoxicity.

(3) Plasma cells. These are the effectors cells of humoral immunity. They produce the immunoglobins, which are the effector molecules.

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