Cell Injury and Accumulation Quiz

Study Notes

Definition: Morphological and metabolic changes in living cells caused by non-fatal injury within the cell's cytoplasm with a normal nucleus.
Cloudy Swelling/Albuminous Degeneration: Occurs due to disturbances in cellular energy metabolism and ion pumps leading to intracellular water accumulation, causing cell swelling.
Hydropic Degeneration: Characterized by the accumulation of excess water within the cell, leading to swelling, and often seen in association with other forms of degeneration.
Fatty Change/Fatty Degeneration/Steatosis: Accumulation of neutral fat in different organs and parenchymal cells.

Fats: Cholesterol accumulation in blood vessel walls contributes to atherosclerosis.
Mucin: Abnormal mucin buildup within epithelial cells.
Glycogen: Glycogen storage diseases arise from enzyme defects.
Proteins: Hyaline change refers to a change in cells or tissues that appear homogenous, glassy, and pale pink when stained with H&E.
- Extracellular Hyalinosis: Found in old scars and keloids.
- Intracellular Hyalinosis: Mallory bodies in liver cells of alcoholics.

Definition: Pathological deposition of a pale, pink, homogenous, refractile, structureless protein material.
Location: Deposited in various tissues, primarily extracellularly in blood vessel walls and basement membranes.
Staining:
- Gross: Dark red with Lugol's iodine, turning dark blue or black after the addition of diluted sulfuric acid.
- Microscopic: Pale pink with H&E, and apple green birefringence under polarized light when stained with Congo red.

Systemic (Generalized) Amyloidosis:
- Immunocyte Dyscrasias with Amyloidosis (Primary Amyloidosis): Caused by abnormal immune cell functions.
- Reactive Systemic Amyloidosis (Secondary Amyloidosis): Develops as a response to chronic inflammatory conditions.
- Hemodialysis Associated Amyloidosis: Linked to long-term hemodialysis treatment.
- Hereditary Amyloidosis: Inherited genetic disorders causing amyloid deposition.
Localized Amyloidosis:
- Senile Cardiac or Senile Cerebral Amyloidosis: Associated with aging.
- Tumors of Endocrine Glands with Amyloid Deposits: Example: Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid.
- Idiopathic Localized Amyloid Deposits: Occur without a clear cause.

Definition: Distinctive type of cell death involving single cells or clusters of cells without an inflammatory response.
Purpose: Important for cell turnover and programmed cell destruction.
Alternative Name: Cell suicide
Pathological Features:
- Cells appear round with eosinophilic cytoplasm.
- Damage to DNA and chromatin fragmentation.
- Formation of membrane blebs and apoptotic bodies.
Examples:
- Focal elimination of cells during embryonic development.
- Liver cells in viral hepatitis.
- Cell injury caused by cytotoxic T-lymphocytes.
- Endometrium during the menstrual cycle.

Definition: Local death of tissue or a group of cells within a living body.
Cause: Can occur directly or after severe degeneration, often due to ischemia.
Gross Appearance: Necrotic area is opaque, yellowish, and surrounded by a zone of hyperemia.
Microscopic Features:
- Nuclear Changes: Pyknosis (shrinking), karyorrhexis (fragmentation), and karyolysis (dissolution).
- Cytoplasmic Changes: Cell swelling (cytomegaly), loss of cell membrane, and the appearance of a structureless pink mass (ghost cells).

Coagulative Necrosis:
- Usually caused by ischemia.
- Necrotic tissues are opaque and firm due to protein coagulation.
- The necrotic area is called an infarction.
Liquefactive Necrosis:
- Necrotic tissue is soft and rapidly liquifies.
- Seen in brain infarctions and pyogenic abscesses.
Caseation Necrosis:
- Type of allergic coagulative necrosis followed by slow partial liquefaction.
- Tissues are dry, pale yellow, and cheesy.