Systemic Pathology — Flashcards

Flashcard 571: In alpha thalassemia, there is a(n) _____ in RBC count

Answer: increase

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Flashcard 572: Podocyte fusion or "effacement" on electron microscopy is characteristic of _____

Answer: minimal change disease

Extra: Minimal Change Disease is characterized by normal-appearing glomeruli on light microscopy and negative immunofluorescence, with the hallmark finding being podocyte foot process effacement seen on electron microscopy.

Flashcard 573: What conditions are associated with target cells on blood smear? _____

Answer: HbC disease Asplenia Liver disease Thalassemia

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Flashcard 574: Multiple sclerosis = _____

Answer: MRI

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Flashcard 575: Cellular crescents in Bowman capsule _____

Answer: Rapidly progressive crescentic glomerulonephritis

Flashcard 576: How do complement levels change in an acute lupus flare? _____

Answer: Decrease

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Flashcard 577: _____ is the most common cause of spontaneous **lobar** hemorrhage in the elderly

Answer: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy

Extra: Hypertension is the most common cause of intraparenchymal hemorrhage overall (typically involving deep structures like the basal ganglia). Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is the most common cause of lobar hemorrhage, typically in patients > 60 years old.

Flashcard 578: What genetic pathologies are characteristically associated with these organs? - Aorta - Heart - Joints - Liver - Pancreas

Answer: Aorta: Marfan syndrome (fibrillin-1 defect) - Heart & Liver: Glycogen storage diseases (GSD) (Mnemonic: Very Poor Carbs Metabolism) • Von Gierke (I): Glucose-6-phosphatase (Hepatomegaly) • Pompe (II): α-1,4-glucosidase (Cardiomegaly) • Cori (III): α-1,6-glucosidase (Debranching enzyme) • McArdle (V): Muscle phosphorylase - Joints: Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome - Pancreas: Cystic fibrosis (CFTR mutation)

Flashcard 579: Identify the causes or mechanisms of splenomegaly for the following categories: - Inflammatory infiltration - Myeloproliferative disorder - Passive splenic congestion - Presence of circulating immune complexes - Red pulp hyperplasia - Undegraded metabolite accumulation

Answer: - Inflammatory infiltration: Chronic infections (e.g., tuberculosis, malaria). - Myeloproliferative disorder: Examples include Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) and Primary Myelofibrosis. - Passive splenic congestion: Portal hypertension (e.g., cirrhosis), splenic vein thrombosis, or congestive heart failure. - Presence of circulating immune complexes: Classically seen in Infective Endocarditis. - Red pulp hyperplasia: Removal of defective/deformed RBCs (e.g., Hereditary Spherocytosis, Pyruvate Kinase deficiency). - Undegraded metabolite accumulation: Lysosomal storage diseases such as Niemann-Pick disease and Gaucher disease (accumulation of sphingomyelin and glucocerebroside, respectively).

Flashcard 580: Which immunodeficiency presents with defective class switching? _____

Answer: Hyper-IgM syndrome