Inflammation Types

Types of Inflammation

• Acute inflammation: sudden onset, characterized by prominent vascular phenomena, and typically resolves within a short duration
• Chronic inflammation: develops gradually, persists for weeks, months, or even years, involves less prominent vascular changes, and is associated with tissue destruction and repair processes happening simultaneously
• Granulomatous inflammation: characterized by the formation of granulomas, which are aggregates of activated macrophages, often caused by infections such as tuberculosis and schistosomiasis

Chronic Toxemia

• Refers to the systemic effects of chronic inflammation
• May include: mild fever, leucocytosis with relative lymphocytosis, elevated ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate), cachexia, and amyloidosis

Wound Healing

• Occurs through different patterns:
  • First intention (primary union): clean, uninfected wounds with well-apposed edges, leading to minimal scar formation
  • Second intention (secondary union): unclean wounds with unopposed edges, resulting in the formation of larger scars filled with granulation tissue

Granulation Tissue

• Grossly: soft, pink, granular tissue filling the wound space
• Microscopically: proliferating fibroblasts, capillaries, and inflammatory cells

Factors Influencing Wound Healing

• Systemic factors:
  • Circulatory status
  • Metabolic disorders
  • Nutrition
  • Age
  • Hormones
• Local factors:
  • Infection
  • Mechanical factors
  • Presence of foreign bodies
  • Size
  • Location
  • Type of wound
  • Radiation exposure