General Pathology Practice Questions

Q: What is the earliest and most common form of reversible cell injury?

All of the above. **Explanation:** The earliest and most common manifestation of reversible cell injury is **cellular swelling** (also known as hydropic change or vacuolar degeneration) [1]. This occurs due to the failure of energy-dependent membrane pumps (specifically the Na⁺-K⁺ ATPase pump) following injury [1]. When the pump fails, sodium accumulates inside the cell, leading to an obligatory iso-osmotic gain of water to maintain equilibrium, causing the cell to swell [1]. **Why "All of the above" is correct:** In pathology, the terms **Cellular swelling**, **Cloudy swelling**, and **Albuminous degeneration** are synonymous. * **Cloudy swelling:** Historically used because the affected organ appears pale and swollen, and the cytoplasm looks "cloudy" or granular under a light microscope due to the presence of small clear vacuoles (distended ER) [1]. * **Albuminous degeneration:** An older term referring to the proteinaceous/granular appearance of the cytoplasm in swollen cells. Since all three terms describe the same fundamental pathological process of acute intracellular edema, Option D is the correct choice. **High-Yield Clinical Pearls for NEET-PG:** * **Mechanism:** Reduced ATP → Failure of Na⁺-K⁺ pump → Influx of Na⁺ and H₂O + Efflux of K⁺ → Cellular swelling [1]. * **Microscopic hallmark:** Small, clear vacuoles within the cytoplasm (Hydropic change) [1]. * **Ultrastructural changes (EM):** Blunting of microvilli, mitochondrial swelling, and detachment of ribosomes from the Rough ER [1]. * **Reversibility:** If the injurious stimulus (e.g., hypoxia) is removed, the cell can return to its normal homeostatic state [1]. If it persists, it may progress to irreversible injury (necrosis). **References:** [1] Kumar V, Abbas AK, et al.. Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease. 9th ed. Cellular Responses to Stress and Toxic Insults: Adaptation, Injury, and Death, pp. 49-55.

Q: The sago spleen and lardaceous spleen are conditions seen in which of the following?

Amyloidosis of the spleen. **Explanation:** The correct answer is **Amyloidosis of the spleen (Option D)**. Amyloidosis is characterized by the extracellular deposition of misfolded fibrillar proteins [1]. In the spleen, amyloid deposition occurs in two distinct macroscopic patterns depending on the site of involvement: 1. **Sago Spleen:** Amyloid is deposited primarily in the **splenic follicles (white pulp)**. On gross examination, these deposits appear as pale, translucent, grain-like granules resembling sago (tapioca) seeds. 2. **Lardaceous Spleen:** Amyloid is deposited in the **splenic sinuses and red pulp** (sparing the follicles). These deposits fuse to form large, map-like areas with a waxy, firm consistency resembling "lard" (pig fat). **Why other options are incorrect:** * **A. Congestive splenomegaly:** Typically seen in portal hypertension. It is characterized by "Gamna-Gandy bodies" (siderofibrotic nodules), not amyloid patterns. * **B. Autosplenectomy:** This refers to the shrunken, fibrotic, and calcified spleen seen in Sickle Cell Anemia due to repeated infarctions. * **C. Secondaries in spleen:** Splenic metastasis is relatively rare but presents as discrete neoplastic nodules, not diffuse amyloid patterns. **High-Yield Clinical Pearls for NEET-PG:** * **Staining:** Amyloid shows **Apple-green birefringence** under polarized light when stained with **Congo Red** [2]. * **Microscopy:** On H&E stain, amyloid appears as an amorphous, eosinophilic, hyaline-like extracellular substance [2]. * **Sago vs. Lardaceous:** Remember **S**ago = **S**plenic follicles (White pulp); **L**ardaceous = Red pulp. **References:** [1] Kumar V, Abbas AK, et al.. Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease. 9th ed. Diseases of the Immune System, pp. 264-266. [2] Kumar V, Abbas AK, et al.. Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease. 9th ed. Diseases of the Immune System, pp. 268-269.

Question 1

Lipoxins synthesized from arachidonic acid act by which of the following mechanisms?

Accepted Answer

Decreasing leucocyte migration, adhesion, and chemotaxis

Answer

Increasing leucocyte migration, adhesion, and chemotaxis

Answer

Promoting vasoconstriction

Answer

Increasing vascular permeability

Question 2

Histiocytosis X is seen in all of the following conditions except?

Accepted Answer

Torres syndrome

Answer

Hand-Schüller-Christian disease

Answer

Eosinophilic granuloma

Answer

Letterer-Siwe syndrome

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT true about apoptosis?

Accepted Answer

Inflammation is typically present.

Answer

Annexin V can be used as a marker.

Answer

Cell shrinkage is a characteristic feature.

Answer

Clumping of chromatin is observed.

Question 4

Dystrophic calcification occurs in all of the following conditions except?

Accepted Answer

Normal kidney

Answer

Rheumatic heart disease

Answer

Lymph node

Answer

Aneurysm

Question 5

What is the earliest and most common form of reversible cell injury?

Accepted Answer

All of the above

Answer

Cloudy swelling

Answer

Cellular swelling

Answer

Albuminous degeneration

Question 6

What is true about metaplasia?

Accepted Answer

It is a reversible change

Answer

Loss of polarity

Answer

Nucleus is smaller in size

Answer

Immature cells

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a mutation associated with Down syndrome?

Accepted Answer

VNTRs

Answer

Mosaicism

Answer

Robertsonian translocation

Answer

Maternal nondisjunction

Question 8

Which of the following has a propensity to metastasize through lymph nodes?

Accepted Answer

Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma

Answer

Osteosarcoma

Answer

Both

Answer

None

Question 9

What is the mechanism of transmission for Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency?

Accepted Answer

Autosomal recessive

Answer

Autosomal dominant

Answer

X-linked recessive

Answer

X-linked dominant

Question 10

The sago spleen and lardaceous spleen are conditions seen in which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Amyloidosis of the spleen

Answer

Congestive splenomegaly

Answer

Autosplenectomy

Answer

Secondaries in spleen

General Pathology — MCQs

General Pathology — MCQs

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