85109 - General and Clinical Pathology

Learning outcomes

The students will learn the etiology and the pathogenetic mechanisms of human diseases, the basic reactions to abnormal stimuli, the morphological changes they induce in cells and tissues, together with the systemic and functional consequences for the organism. The Students will acquire the appropriate knowledge of the disease's denomination and of medical terminology.

Course contents

 

Introduction to Pathology. The concept of health and disease, of aging, of etiology. Basis of medical terminology.

Cellular pathology. Cellular adaptations, reversible cell injury, apoptosis and necrosis. Inflammatory-reparative response. Etiology and classification of acute inflammation, chemical mediators, vascular changes and exudate formation, cellular events and phagocytosis. Chronic and granulomatous inflammation, tissue repair and wound healing, fibrosis. Systemic manifestations of inflammation: acute phase response and fever.

Diseases of immunity. Cells and tissues of the immune system. The complement system. Antigens and antibodies. Histocompatibility molecules. Hypersensitivity reactions. Transplant rejection. Immunologic tolerance. Mechanisms of autoimmune diseases.

Genetic diseases. Cytogenetic disorders involving autosomes and sex chromosomes. Transmission patterns of single-gene diseases: autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive and X-linked disorders. Disorders with multifactorial inheritance.

Neoplasia. Characteristics of benign and malignant neoplasms. Tumour classification. The molecular basis of cancer. The multistep process of carcinogenesis. Metastasis. Molecular markers in solid tumor.

 

General and organ physiopathology (Module 2)

Haemostasis. Thrombotic diathesis and hemorrhagic diathesis. Thrombophilia. States of hyper-coagulability: defects of natural anti-thrombin anticoagulants, protein C and protein S; mutations of the factor V gene; mutations of the prothrombin gene; hyper-homocysteine; anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome. Laboratory tests for the evaluation of primary and secondary hemostasis. Indices of intense coagulation activity: Fibrinopeptides A and B. Indexes of fibrinolysis: FDP and D-Dimer. Disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Thrombosis. Conditions that favor the formation of thrombus. Virchow's triad. Thrombus sites and risk factors. Outcomes of the thrombus.

Embolism. Solid, liquid and gaseous emboli. Conditions that favor pulmonary embolism and its consequences. Embolism from amniotic fluid. Embolism from gas.

Atherosclerosis. Risk factors. Mechanisms of atheromatous plaque formation. Local consequences (aneurysm and thrombosis) and general.

Heart stroke. Etiology of white and red heart attacks. Anatomical and functional termination. Outcomes of the heart stroke. Lab test

Shock. Classification of various types of shocks. Septic shock

Erythrocyte system disorders. Polycythemias. The porphyrias. Anemias: clinical signs and classification. Lab test.

Diabetes mellitus. Definition and classification of diabetes. Diagnostic criteria. Type I and type II diabetes. Pathogenesis of diabetes complications. Laboratory investigations.

Readings/Bibliography

Kumar V., Abbass A.K., Fausto N., Aster J.C. “Robbins - Fondamenti di Patologia e Fisiopatologia”, 9a edizione, Elsevier Italia 2010

F. Celotti Patologia generale e Fisiopatologia – EdiSES –2° Ed.

Robbins e Cotran - Le basi patologiche delle malattie – edra

Lezioni di Medicina di Laboratorio [http://amsacta.unibo.it/] di G. Pasquinelli e L. Barbieri, 1 ed, 2014, ISBN 9788897617082

Teaching methods

Power Point support will be utilised during the lessons and a copy of it will be available for the Students.

Assessment methods

The final grade is defined, through a written examination, on the average of the marks obtained in topics covered during the course. The evaluation will consider the capability to explain the contents in a synthetic and complete fashion.

The test will consist of 30 multiple choice questions (0.5 points per question) and 2 open questions (7.5 points per question). The test will last 90 minutes.

It is mandatory to obtain at least 18/30 to passing the test.

In order to go through the final exam, the students must register in the electronic board respecting the deadline. Students that are not able to register can be admitted to the final proof anyway, provided they contact the professor by e-mail before the expected deadline.

Teaching tools

Lectures will be supplied on informatic supports (http://iol.unibo.it/)

Office hours

See the website of Dario De Biase

See the website of Maria Raffaella Barbaro