General Pathology Practice Questions

Question 1

A 52-year-old man is brought to the emergency department by ambulance after a motor vehicle accident. He was an unrestrained passenger who was ejected from the vehicle. On presentation, he is found to be actively bleeding from numerous wounds. His blood pressure is 76/42 mmHg and pulse is 152/min. Attempts at resuscitation fail, and he dies 25 minutes later. Autopsy shows blood in the peritoneal cavity, and histology of the kidney reveals swelling of the proximal convoluted tubule epithelial cells. Which of the following is most likely the mechanism underlying the renal cell findings?

Accepted Answer

Decreased function of the Na+/K+-ATPase

Answer

Decreased activity of caspase 7

Answer

Increased activity of caspase 9

Answer

Increased function of the Na+/K+-ATPase

Answer

Increased activity of caspase 8

Question 2

A 78-year-old man with a history of myocardial infarction status post coronary artery bypass grafting and a 60-pack-year history of smoking is found deceased in his apartment after not returning calls to his family for the last 2 days. The man was last known to be alive 3 days ago, when his neighbor saw him getting his mail. The family requests an autopsy. On autopsy, the man is found to have a 100% blockage of his left anterior descending artery of his heart and likely passed from sudden cardiac death 2 days prior. Which of the following findings is expected to be found on histologic examination of his damaged myocardium?

Accepted Answer

Uniform binding of acidophilic dyes

Answer

Fat saponification

Answer

Cellular debris and lymphocytes

Answer

Cystic cavitation

Answer

Cellular debris and macrophages

Question 3

A 68-year-old man presents to his primary care provider after noticing that his urine has been pink for the last week. He does not have any pain with urination, nor has he had any associated fevers or infections. On his review of systems, the patient notes that he thinks he has lost some weight since his belt is looser, and he has also had occasional dull pressure in his back for the past two months. His temperature is 98.8°F (37.1°C), blood pressure is 132/90 mmHg, pulse is 64/min, and respirations are 12/min. The patient weighs 210 lbs (95.3 kg, BMI 31.9 kg/m²), compared to his weight of 228 lbs (103.4 kg, BMI 34.7 kg/m²) at his last visit 2 years prior. On exam, the patient does not have any back or costovertebral angle tenderness. On abdominal palpation, a firm mass can be appreciated deep in the left abdomen. Given the suspected diagnosis, the clinical workup should also assess for which of the following paraneoplastic syndromes?

Accepted Answer

Hypercalcemia

Answer

Polycythemia

Answer

Anemia

Answer

Stauffer syndrome

Answer

Hypercortisolism

Question 4

Researchers are investigating the mechanism of cell apoptosis and host defense in mice. They have observed that mice with certain gene deletions are not able to fight the induced viral infection. They identify a cell that is able to destroy target cells infected with viruses by exocytosis of granule contents, which induces the activation of caspases. Which type of cell is responsible for this process?

Accepted Answer

CD8+ lymphocytes

Answer

CD4+ lymphocytes

Answer

Macrophages

Answer

Neutrophils

Answer

Eosinophils

Question 5

A 19-year-old woman presents to her primary care physician because she has been feeling increasingly lethargic over the last 6 months. Specifically, she says that she feels tired easily and has been cold even though she is wearing lots of layers. Her medical history is significant for seasonal allergies but is otherwise unremarkable. When prompted, she also says that she has a hard time swallowing food though she has no difficulty drinking liquids. Physical exam reveals a midline mass in her neck. Which of the following structures would most likely be seen if this patient's mass was biopsied?

Accepted Answer

Follicles with colloid

Answer

Lymphatic ducts

Answer

Neutrophilic invasion

Answer

Blood vessels

Answer

Hollow epithelial duct

Question 6

A 27-year-old woman presents to the emergency department complaining of a left-sided headache and right-sided blurry vision. She states that 2 weeks ago she developed dark urine and abdominal pain. She thought it was a urinary tract infection so she took trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole that she had left over. She planned on going to her primary care physician today but then she developed headache and blurry vision so she came to the emergency department. The patient states she is otherwise healthy. Her family history is significant for a brother with sickle cell trait. On physical examination, there is mild abdominal tenderness, and the liver edge is felt 4 cm below the right costal margin. Labs are drawn as below:

Hemoglobin: 7.0 g/dL
Platelets: 149,000/mm^3
Reticulocyte count: 5.4%
Lactate dehydrogenase: 3128 U/L

Total bilirubin: 2.1 mg/dL
Indirect bilirubin: 1.4 mg/dL
Aspartate aminotransferase: 78 U/L
Alanine aminotransferase: 64 U/L

A peripheral smear shows polychromasia. A Doppler ultrasound of the liver shows decreased flow in the right hepatic vein. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain is pending. Which of the following tests, if performed, would most likely identify the patient’s diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Flow cytometry

Answer

Glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase levels

Answer

Anti-histone antibodies

Answer

Bone marrow biopsy

Answer

Hemoglobin electrophoresis

Question 7

A 56-year-old man presents to the emergency room with severe substernal chest pain associated with a 2-hour history of breathlessness and sweating. An electrocardiogram shows an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Cardiac enzyme levels confirm a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. The patient is rushed to the catheter lab for angioplasty with stenting. The patient complains of recurrent chest pain in the ICU 56 hours post-angioplasty. Which of the following enzymes facilitates the patient’s diagnosis based on his current symptoms?

Accepted Answer

Creatine kinase (CK)-MB

Answer

Creatine kinase – MM

Answer

Troponin T

Answer

Troponin I

Answer

Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)

Question 8

A 26-year-old patient presents to your office with rhinorrhea that you believe to be viral in origin. He respectfully requests treatment with antibiotics, and he demonstrates an understanding of the risks, benefits, and alternatives to treatment. His mental status is intact, and you believe him to have full decision-making capacity. Which of the following is the best course of action?

Accepted Answer

Deny the patient's request

Answer

Refer the patient to an infectious disease specialist

Answer

Prescribe ciprofloxacin

Answer

Prescribe amoxicillin

Answer

Prescribe zidovudine

Question 9

A 28-year-old male presents to his primary care physician with complaints of intermittent abdominal pain and alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea. His medical chart is not significant for any past medical problems or prior surgeries. He is not prescribed any current medications. Which of the following questions would be the most useful next question in eliciting further history from this patient?

Accepted Answer

"Can you tell me more about the symptoms you have been experiencing?"

Answer

"Does the diarrhea typically precede the constipation, or vice-versa?"

Answer

"Is the diarrhea foul-smelling?"

Answer

"Please rate your abdominal pain on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the worst pain of your life"

Answer

"Are the symptoms worse in the morning or at night?"

Question 10

A 21-year-old medical student is studying different types of necrosis and tissue injuries. In the pathology laboratory, he observes different dead tissues under the microscope and notices the changes that are occurring as a function of time. After serial observations, he deduced that coagulation necrosis is...?

Accepted Answer

Characterized by the preservation of cellular shape

Answer

The result of denaturation of glucose

Answer

Characteristic of brain ischemia

Answer

Commonly associated with acute pancreatic necrosis

Answer

The result of hydrolytic enzymes

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