Virtual Microscopy > Respiratory > Teaching Cases
Case 1:
A 21-year-old male with a known medical history of cystic fibrosis (mucoviscidosis)
presents with a productive cough, increasing shortness of breath, fever and a
chest x-ray with nodular infiltrate. Review the section from the lung with cystic fibrosis and answer the following:
Slides: [lung (cystic fibrosis)] [normal cartilaginous airway] [normal lung]
Electron Micrographs: [alveolus] [basement membrane] [type II cell]
Diagram: [surfactant composition]
- How is the overall structure of the large cartilaginous airways different
from that of the normal lung? What are possible pathogenetic mechanisms by which this architectural rearrangement
occurs?
- How is the mucosa of the airways of the cystic fibrosis lungs different
than the normal lungs? Why do you think these changes occur?
- What is present in the lumen of the airways? Where is it coming from? How
does this cause the clinical symptoms the patient is having?
- How is the lung tissue surrounding the airways different from the normal
lung? Why are these changes occurring based on what you know is
happening in the airways?
Case 2:
A 41-year-old male presents to the local pulmonologist with shortness of
breath and a chest X-ray with bilateral alveolar space infiltrates. Review the section of the lung with pulmonary alveolar proteinosis and answer the following:
Slides: [pulmonary alveolar proteinosis] [normal lung]
- How are the alveoli different from those of the normal lung?
- What clinical symptoms may result from this finding?
- What cells in the lung are involved in surfactant metabolism? Can you find
them in this lung? Do these cells look abnormal in this pulmonary alveolar proteinosis lung?
- What is a possible pathogenetic mechanism for pulmonary alveolar proteinosis,
based on what you have observed in this lung?
