A 52-year-old woman

had a total thyroidectomy. Unfortunately, pathologic analysis reveals that all

the parathyroid glands were removed. Which parameter is most likely to be the

most affected by the removal of the parathyroid glands?

A 47-year-old patient is admitted to the

intensive care unit due to severe infection or sepsis. A number of parameters

are used to monitor the development of inflammation and the patient's general

condition. One of them is procalcitonin. This protein is physiologically

produced by thyroid cells as a precursor to the hormone calcitonin. However,

especially in generalized bacterial infections, other cells, mainly

neuroendocrine cells of the lung and intestine, start to produce it. The

concentration of this protein then rises sharply in the plasma. What are the

name of thyroid cells that produce this protein?

A 37-year-old woman comes to the physician for evaluation of

unintentional weight gain (5.5 kg in 2 weeks) and irregular menstrual cycles

over the past 3 months.

She does not take any medications. Her blood pressure is 155/85 mmHg. Elevated serum

cortisol level is found. Which adrenal layer is likely to contain an excessive

amount of this hormone?

During the birth of a 35-year-old patient, uterine contractions

gradually weaken. To strengthen them, the drug/hormone oxytocin is therefore

administered intravenously. Which tissue should make this hormone normally?

(illustrative image – myometrium)

A 36-year-old woman comes to

the doctor with a usual problem. More and more often, she suffers from attacks

of tachycardia (high heart rate), accompanied by palpitations (often

irregular), and also by increased sweating and flushing, which her colleagues

at work have noticed. The doctor measures her blood pressure and it was quite

high. A blood test then reveals elevated levels of metanephrines (metabolites

of catecholamines). A subsequent CT scan confirms tumour in her right adrenal

gland. This is most likely a pheochromocytoma, a tumour of the chromaffin cells

(pheochromocytes) of the adrenal medulla from which catecholamines are released

into the body in a paroxysmal fashion. What is the origin of adrenal medulla

and how would you classify its tissue?

A boy is diagnosed

with a rare congenital Kallmann syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by anosmia

(absence of smell) and reduced or zero production of the gonadotropin-releasing

hormone GnRH, which leads to reduced production of the follicle-stimulating

hormone FSH and luteinizing hormone LH, and subsequently to delayed or no

puberty (pubertas tarda). Which cells are the normal source of FSH and LH?

A 52-year-old female patient

develops symptoms of hypocalcemia (low calcium levels) such as cramps or

paresthesias (sensory disturbances – tingling) very soon after surgery where

her thyroid gland was removed. In addition to low calcium levels, elevated

blood phosphate levels dominate in the laboratory tests. This is a typical

picture of acutely developing hypoparathyroidism resulting from removal of all

parathyroid glands during a previous operation. Their removal leads to

parathyroid hormone deficiency. How do we call the parathyroid cells that

produce this hormone?

The histologist is looking for

thymus samples from adults for his new project. He finds a few paraffin blocks

that are not properly labelled. He takes the stained glass attached to the

blocks and looks on them under a microscope. The slide consist mainly of

adipose tissue. It is possible to distinguish well the connective tissue

capsule and the signs of incomplete septa. The lobes are, however, filled

mainly with fat. Only residues of the tissue itself are present. A dark cortex

is visible, with remnants of lighter medulla with Hassall bodies in the middle.

Is it possible to conclude from this description to whom this specimen belongs

and whether the pathologist can use it in his study?

A 19-year-old female patient

suffers from a variety of non-specific problems such as fatigue, weakness,

malaise, abdominal pain, occasional diarrhoea and vomiting. In addition, she is

very pale and has lost weight since her last check-up with the doctor. A bland

non-specific rash is present on her skin. In the blood count that is done, only

mild anemia is present. As these symptoms have been present in the patient for

a longer period of time, further investigations are made to find possible

causes. One possibility that is eventually confirmed both laboratory and

histologically is celiac disease. The disease is a genetic disorder of mucosal

immunity. It reacts abnormally to gluten and prolamins found in wheat and other

cereals. The damage of the intestinal mucosa that occurs in patients when

gluten is present in the intestine is caused by T-lymphocytes. The result is

mucosal atrophy with impaired absorption of nutrients. Antigen presenting cells

play an important role in the activation of T-lymphocytes and transmit these

antigens to T-lymphocytes. These cells receive the antigen (here gluten) from the

lumen of the intestine by transcytosis via a special type of intestinal

epithelial cells located above the lymphoid tissue clusters in the intestinal

mucosa (typically Peyer's patches). How do we call these cells?

A

26-year-old woman come to the doctor because of enlarged lymph nodes in the

neck and axilla area, in addition, she suffers from fatigue, night sweats, and

fever. The doctor will perform blood tests that prove acute toxoplasmosis

infection. If an enlarged lymph node were examined histologically, what would

we find?