Practical approach to the differential diagnosis of acute lung injury for pathologists The basic elements of the acute lung injury pattern include interstitial edema, alveolar edema, fibrin, hyaline membranes, reactive pneumocytes, and organization (see Box 6.2 and Fig. 6.1 A–C).…
The diagnostic approach to pediatric lung biopsy differs somewhat from that in the adult patient. Many of the usual questions that arise in adult pulmonary pathology are replaced by separate issues involving abnormal development, altered lung growth due to prematurity,…
Foundations High-resolution computed tomography Computed tomography (CT) is the widely recognized imaging standard of reference for the assessment of most pulmonary abnormalities ( Fig. 4.1 ). With a diffuse lung disease (DLD), the high-resolution option is used. An actual collimation…
Optimal specimen handling is essential for the accurate interpretation of biopsies and cytologic preparations obtained in the course of evaluating the patient with lung disease. The limited number of sampling techniques available can be divided into three general categories: bronchoscopy,…
As the name implies, pulmonary function testing provides quantification of pulmonary physiologic function. By definition this information is disease independent and static, representing a point-in-time evaluation. Nonetheless, this information can be very helpful for building a differential diagnosis. In fact,…
Development and gross anatomy Airway development During early embryogenesis (at approximately day 21 after fertilization), the lungs begin as a groove in the ventral floor of the foregut ( Fig. 1.1 ). This foregut depression becomes a diverticulum of endoderm,…
Synovial-based lesions encompass both reactive and neoplastic processes. Although any joint may be affected, the most common site of disease is the knee. Pathologic changes in the small joints of the fingers are typically due to rheumatoid disease or localized…
The term crystalline arthropathy is a general term that refers to the presence of crystalline deposits in or around joints, sometimes within tendon sheaths and bursae as well. Essentially three crystalline substances may be found in articular and periarticular tissues.…
Osteoarthritis Definition and Synonyms Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP): a member of a superfamily of proteins that promotes the formation of bone and the skeleton Collagen IX: a fibrous protein that is a heterodimeric molecule expressed mainly in cartilage Collagen X:…
The notochord is a rod-shaped structure that forms during the third week of gestation and organizes formation of the axial skeleton. As vertebral bodies undergo ossification, the notochord becomes fragmented, and by the second month of development, notochordal tissue is…