84445 - Cardiovascular and Thoracic Pathology Academic Year 2026/2027
Learning outcomes
Recognize the morphologic and molecular features of cardiovascular and thoracic diseases, and correlate them with their clinical presentation.
Course contents
Module 2 (Prof. Pier Paolo Piccaluga)
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
Ischemic heart disease: anatomic alterations and histopathology of chronic ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction (timing and evolution of morphologic changes, complications of myocardial infarction).
Valvular heart disease: anatomic alterations and histopathology of rheumatic heart disease, infective endocarditis.
Myocardial diseases: anatomic alterations and histopathology of myocarditis and cardiomyopathies.
Pericardial diseases: anatomic alterations and histopathology of pericarditis.
Blood vessel diseases: anatomic alterations and histopathology of arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis, aneurysms and vasculitis.
Vascular tumors: classification and histopathological diagnosis.
Readings/Bibliography
Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease (Robbins Pathology) or equivalent Pathology textbook.
Piccaluga PP. Cardiovascular pathology. Textbook. (https://www.amazon.it/-/en/Cardiovascular-Pathology-Pier-Paolo-Piccaluga/dp/B0GZSK589W)
Teaching methods
Slide supported lectures with interactive discussion. Teaching materials will be made available to the students at the designated University of Bologna websites at least one day before the lecture.
Attending lectures plays an important role in the learning process. During lectures, the teacher guides the students in the critical reading of the teaching materials and provides opportunities for online formative assessment.
Attendance to learning activities is mandatory; the minimum attendance requirement to be admitted to the final exam is 66% of lessons. For Integrated Courses (IC), the 66% attendance requirement refers to the total amount of I.C. lessons. Students who fail to meet the minimum attendance requirement will not be admitted to the final exam of the course, and will have to attend relevant classes again during the next academic year.
Professors may authorise excused absences upon receipt of proper justifying documentation, in case of illness or serious reasons. Excused absences do not count against a student’s attendance record to determine their minimum attendance requirement.
Assessment methods
INTEGRATED COURSE - Thoracic and Vascular Diseases (14 CFU): the final comprehensive assessment will consist of an oral exam with questions focusing on the learning objectives and topics of the integrated course. In each exam session, for practical and logistic reasons, two subcommittees will be appointed for the same final comprehensive assessment:
- Subcommittee for Module A (Cardiology+Cardiac Surgery+Vascular Surgery+Pharmacology)
- Subcommittee for Module B (Pneumology+Thoracic Surgery+Radiology+Pathology)
After assessment by the two subcommittees, the professors of the integrated course participate in the final collegial assessment, which considers the level of mastery of the key concepts illustrated during the lessons, critical thinking and the ability to integrate the key concepts and take-home messages of the different modules of the integrated course.
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
Additional teaching material will be made available through the designated University of Bologna websites. Access is reserved to Bologna University students.
Published on: August 05 2026
