INTRDUCTION TO
PATHOLOGY
By/Dr.Abdisamad Omar Ali
TERMS DEFINITON
Pathology is the scientific study of
disease
Pathology is the foundation of medical
science & practice
Pathology is a bridging discipline
devoted to the study of the structure &
functional changes in cells, tissues &
organs that underlie diseases
TERMS DEFINITON
Pathology: Ancient Greek roots of pathos meaning
"suffering" and -logy "study of"
Pathogenesis: underlying mechanisms that result
in the presenting signs and symptoms of the
patient.
Pathologists use a variety of molecular,
microbiologic, and immunologic techniques to
understand the biochemical, structural, and
functional changes that occur in cells, tissues, and
organs.
TERMS DEFINITON
Morphology: changes in the gross or microscopic
appearance (of cells and tissues,) and biochemical
alterations in body fluids (such as blood and urine)
Disease: is any abnormal disturbance of the function
or structure of the human body as a result of some
type of injery
Infection: the presence and colonization of a
pathogen in human body
Symptom: refer to the patient perception of the
disease (headache)
Disease process
Etiology (cause)
Pathogenesis (mechanism)
Molecular and morphologic
changes
Clinical manifestations
(symptoms & signs)
Etiology
Etiology of a disease means the cause of the
disease, if the cause of a disease is known it is
called (primary etiology)
If the cause of the disease is unknown it is
called (idiopathic)
There are two major classes of etiologic
factors : genetic and acquired (infectious,
nutritional, chemical, physical, etc)
Pathogenesis
Pathogenesis means the mechanism
through which the cause operates to
produce pathological and clinical
manifestations or structural and functional
abnormalities
The incubation period : the time
between exposure to the virus and the
appearance of symptoms
Morphologic changes
The morphologic changes refer to the
structural alterations in cells or tissues that
occur following the pathogenetic mechanisms
The structural changes in the organ can be
seen with the naked eye or they may only be
seen under the microscope
Gross morphologic changes and
microscopic changes
Example 1 (smokers lung)
Example 2 (polycystic kidneys)
Example 3 (brain injury)
Clinical manifestations
The morphologic changes
in the organ influence the
normal function of the
organ
By doing so, they
determine the clinical
features (symptoms and
signs) course, and
prognosis of the disease
Branches of pathology
Pathology divided into:
general pathology and systemic
pathology; the former focuses on the
fundamental cellular and tissue
responses to pathologic stimuli, while
the latter examines the particular
responses of specialized organs.
General pathology
1. Cell injury, cell death and adaptations
2. Inflammation and repair
3. Hemodynamic disorders, thromboembolism and shock
4. Neoplasia
5. Diseases of the immune system
Systemic pathology
1. The heart and vascular system
2. The blood
3. The renal system
4. The respiratory system
5. The nervous system
6. The gastrointestinal system
7. The endocrine system
8. Musculoskeletal system
9. Reproductive systems
10. The skin
Subdivisions of Pathology
Histopathology: the investigation &
diagnosis of disease from the examination
of tissues
Cytopathology: the investigation & the
diagnosis of disease from the examination
of isolated cells
Hematopathology: the study of the
disorders of the cellular & coagulable
components of blood
Subdivisions of Pathology
Toxicology: the study of the effects of
known or suspected poisons
Forensic pathology: the application of
pathology to legal purposes ( e.g.
investigation of death in suspicious
circumstances)
Chemical pathology: the study &
diagnosis of disease from the chemical
changes in tissues & fluids
Histopathology
A pathologist
examines a tissue
section for evidence
of cancerous cells
while a surgeon
observes.
Forensic pathology
Techniques of pathology
Staining
Techniques of pathology
Light Microscopy:
visualise the
structure of tissues &
cells in health &
disease
Techniques of pathology
Electron Microscopy:
study of disorders at an
organelle level, & to the
demonstration of viruses
in tissue samples
Haematological techniques
The diagnosis &
study of blood
disorders
Histochemistry techniques
The study of the
chemistry of tissues
