00031 - Pathological Anatomy

Learning outcomes

 

The student is expected to learn the pathological basis of the diseases, with special attention to the lesions of the head and neck region. In addition the students should know the most frequent diseases of the various organs.

Most attention is directed toward the lesions of the oral cavity and the head and neck region.

Specifically, in addition to the morphological features, the students should learn:

1. Type of presentation of the disease and general epidemiology;
2. when perform a biopsy
3. how to interpret a histological report.
4. The prognostic features of the different lesions, in order to organize adequate treatment and follow-up.

Course contents

Course contents   

General concepts:

Cytology and practical application techniques; values and limitations.

Histology and practical application techniques. Types of biopsy: incisional, excisional, and surgical. Values and limitations of each type.

Importance of the pre-analytical phase: handling of cytologic and histological samples.

Head and neck pathology:

Oral carcinoma and its precursors (potentially malignant oral disorders): histopathological, prognostic, predictive, and etiopathogenetic aspects. TNM staging: general concepts and application to oral cavity carcinoma.

Oropharyngeal carcinoma and its relationship with HPV infection.

Inflammatory and autoimmune diseases of the oral cavity.

Immune-mediated diseases with potential oral and/or head and neck manifestations: Sjögren's syndrome, Wegener's granulomatosis, and IgG4-related disease; differential diagnosis.

Genetic diseases with oral manifestations: Marfan syndrome, neurofibromatosis, familial polyposis.

Systemic diseases with possible oral manifestations: sarcoidosis, amyloidosis.

Oral cavity: odontogenic cysts: classification. Developmental, inflammatory, and neoplastic odontogenic cysts. Benign and malignant odontogenic neoplasms. Ameloblastoma and its variants. Keratocysts: sporadic and familial forms, Gorlin-Goltz syndrome. Pseudocysts of the jaws. Non-odontogenic cysts of the oral cavity.

Benign and malignant salivary gland tumours: Classification of salivary gland neoplasms. Pleomorphic adenoma, Warthin tumour, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, acinic cell carcinoma, secretory carcinoma, carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma.

Diseases of the nose and paranasal sinuses: Inflammatory and neoplastic nasal polyps and malignant tumours.

Diseases of the respiratory system: normal anatomy and histology; carcinoma and benign tumors of the larynx and nasopharyngeal region; bacterial pneumonia, atypical pneumonia, lung abscess, pulmonary tuberculosis, interstitial pneumonia.

Lung carcinoma: histological classification; morphological and prognostic differences between various histotypes.

Pleuritis, mesothelioma.

Diseases of blood vessels: normal morphology, atherosclerosis, aneurysms, angiomas and lymphangiomas, angiosarcoma.

Heart diseases: normal anatomy and histology, ischemic heart disease, hypertensive heart disease, myocardial infarction.

Lymph node diseases presenting in the oral cavity and/or head and neck region: normal anatomy and histology, lymphadenitis, lymphomas (Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin), histiocytosis X.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: normal anatomy and histology. Reflux esophagitis. Infectious esophagitis. Drug-induced esophagitis. Barrett's esophagus and its relationship to esophageal adenocarcinoma. Esophageal adenocarcinoma. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Acute and chronic gastritis: etiological factors and histological morphology. Intestinal metaplasia. Drug-induced gastritis. Peptic ulcer. Gastric carcinoma.

Crohn's disease, megacolon, diverticular diseases, idiopathic ulcerative colitis, nonspecific colitis. Discussion regarding oral cavity presentation.

Intestinal polyps: classification and relationship to carcinoma. Familial polyposis syndromes. Colon carcinoma: etiological factors, morphological and prognostic aspects. Familial intestinal carcinoma not associated with polyposis.

Liver and biliary tract diseases: normal anatomy and histology, alcoholic liver disease, drug-induced liver disease, acute and chronic viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, benign and malignant neoplasms. Cholelithiasis (gallstones).

Kidney diseases: normal anatomy and histology, general characteristics of renal diseases with particular focus on drug-induced forms. Nephrolithiasis (kidney stones).

Lower urinary tract diseases: normal anatomy and histology, acute and chronic cystitis, benign and malignant neoplasms.

Breast diseases: normal anatomy and histology, benign lesions, mammographic screening, pathology of the male breast and juvenile breast.

Skin: normal histology; seborrheic keratosis, keratoacanthoma, actinic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma.

Pigmented lesions of the skin and oral cavity.

Musculoskeletal system pathology: benign and malignant neoplasms of bone and soft tissues (including peripheral nerves), with particular focus on forms arising in the head and neck region and the oral cavity.

Central nervous system diseases: normal anatomy and histology, general pathological processes, cerebral edema, meningitis, brain abscess, cerebral infarction, intracranial hemorrhages.

General criteria for benign and malignant CNS neoplasms.

 

Readings/Bibliography

All presentations used for lectures and practical sessions will be published and made available to students. The presentations cover all the concepts students need to know to pass the exam and are updated in accordance with the latest diagnostic guidelines.

Therefore, attending lectures and studying the materials provided to UniBo students is sufficient to pass the exam.

Suggested texts for further study:

WHO: Head and Neck tumours. 2023.

Pelosi G, Sapino A, Maiorano E. Anatomia Patologica Funzionale. Edizioni Minerva Medica 2022.

Teaching methods

Oral presentations based on power point slides.

Discussion on clinical cases.

Assessment methods

Assessment methods

Oral examination. Each student is examined by at least two different teachers. As a rule, no fewer than three questions are asked by two different teachers. To pass the exam, the student must provide adequate answers to all the questions. The final grade is based on the overall collegial assessment by the teachers of the student's ability to know, understand, and expose the specific subjects under examination in a concise and complete manner.

Final grades will be assigned according to the following criteria:

-Outstanding 30/30L: full preparation, consolidated and without inaccuracies on the topics covered in the integrated course. Ability to promptly frame the topic. Ability to analyze and connect independently different topics. Concepts in the right succession and full command of the specific language with some original elaboration by the student.

-Excellent 29-30/30: full preparation, consolidated and without significant inaccuracies on the topics covered in the course. Ability to promptly frame the topic. Ability to analyze and connect independently. Concepts in the right succession and full command of the specific language.

-Very good 27-28/30: preparation of very good level, but with significant inaccuracies compromising the achievement of full marks. Ability to analyze and link independently. Exposure of concepts in the right succession and with appropriate language.

-Good 23-26/30: preparation of good level, but with important inaccuracies in the presentation. Ability to analyze and link after input from the teacher. Exposure of concepts in the right succession and with appropriate language.

-Sufficient 18-22/30: knowledge limited to the basic concepts without serious gaps, only after input from the teacher. Exposition of concepts and language acceptable as a whole.

-Insufficient <18/30: lack of preparation. Serious and repeated conceptual errors.

Teaching tools

Teaching tools

Power point presentations, available in the IOL web-site

Office hours

See the website of Maria Pia Foschini

See the website of Sofia Asioli