Basic Pathology Trivia Quiz

Answer: proximal convoluted tubule

ATP is the primary energy currency of all cells. During hypoxic injury to the kidney, the tissue that requires the most ATP to function is most affected. In this case, the proximal convoluted tubule (PCT) requires much ATP because it secretes sodium into the lumen of the tubule by making use of the Na+/K+-ATPase pump. Since sodium is not pumped out of the lumen and stays inside the cells of the PCT, water tends to go in and swells up the cells of the PCT. What results is called cellular swelling or vacuolar degeneration of the PCT cells.

This pathologic process is reversible.

Answer: fibrosis and nodule formation

Liver cirrhosis is a chronic disease and the process takes a long time before symptoms can actually be felt by individuals. Since there was insult to the liver parenchyma (functional liver tissue) and hepatocytes (liver cells) died due to the insult, the liver heals itself by means of fibrosis and regeneration.

Unfortunately, these processes can become pathologic. Fibrosis tends to limit the regeneration of the hepatocytes, forming spherical nodules that can be seen at the surface of the liver.

Answer: adenoma

Adenoma refers to the lining epithelium that looks similar to glandular epithelial cells. Fibroma is a benign neoplasm of fibrous or connective tissues. Myoma is a benign neoplasm of smooth muscle tissue. Glioma is a malignant stromal tissue tumor of the central nervous system, particularly of the brain.

Answer: carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)

Alpha-feto protein is a serum tumor marker implicated to hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer). Human chorionic gonadotropin is elevated in the serum in pregnant women, or in women with malignant trophoblastic cancer (choriocarcinoma). Carbohydrate antigen (CA 19-9) is serum tumor marker implicated to pancreatic carcinoma.

Answer: chronic granulomatous inflammation with caseous necrosis

Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an intracellular acid-fast positive bacillus. Patients with tuberculosis are often asymptomatic because this bacterium dwells inside macrophages and it also has factors that prevent it from being lysed while inside.

It is a slow-growing organism, and so symptoms progress gradually. Histologically, the body responds to the offending agents by means of chronic granulomatous inflammation. Caseous necrosis is described to the lesion under the microscope.

Answer: fatty streaks

These fatty streaks begin at 10 years of age, and over time, progress to become atheromatous lesions and eventually lead to atherosclerosis.

Answer: neutrophil absent, decreased glucose

Syphilis is an atypical cause of meningitis, and it is caused by a spirochete bacterium, Treponema pallidum. The presence of white blood cells, particularly neutrophils, in the CSF would indicate that the cause of meningitis is bacterial. However,even if syphilis is caused by a bacterium, it does not attract neutrophils.

When glucose concentration in the CSF decreases, it simply means that something is utilizing glucose. Bacteria are the usual suspects when the glucose concentration in the CSF is decreased.

Answer: rhabdomyosarcoma

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue malignancy in children, and actually accounts for 8% out of all the solid tumors in children. It, however, is quite rare in adults. Malignant fibrous histiocytoma is the most common soft tissue malignancy in adults. Leiomyosarcoma is a malignancy of smooth muscle cells, commonly found retroperitoneally. Neurofibrosarcoma is a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor.

Answer: Sister Mary Joseph nodule

Sister Mary Joseph nodule is found in the umbilicus (navel) and is actually a distant metastasis of gastric cancer. Caput medusa is a lesion on the abdomen, usually around the umbilicus, in cases of ascites secondary to portal hypertension. Spider angioma are skin lesions associated with pregnancy. Jaundice is due to hyperbilirubinemia, either the conjugated or unconjugated type, according to the site of pathology in the metabolism of bilirubin.

Answer: basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma is best described as a skin lesion with central ulceration and a raised pearly-like border encircling the central ulceration. This is the most typical and common type of basal cell carcinoma. It is locally invasive because it destroys many normal tissues around it.

However, it is a carcinoma in situ, meaning it almost never crosses the basal lamina, therefore no metastasis occurs. This is in contrast to squamous cell carcinoma, which is known for having a high risk for metastasis.