Pathology basics confusion pairs
15 Pathology basics topics students commonly mix up on Step 1, each with the fastest separator, a side-by-side comparison, and a free practice question.
- Hyperplasia vs Hypertrophy, metaplasia, and dysplasiaHyperplasia is more cells; hypertrophy is bigger cells; metaplasia is mature cell substitution; dysplasia is premalignant atypical…
- Apoptosis vs NecrosisApoptosis is caspase-mediated quiet cell suicide with intact membranes; necrosis is membrane-rupturing inflammatory injury.
- Coagulative necrosis vs Liquefactive, caseous, fat, fibrinoid, and gangrenous necrosisCoagulative preserves architecture; liquefactive digests; caseous is cheesy granuloma; fat is saponification; fibrinoid is vessel-wall…
- Acute inflammation vs Chronic inflammationAcute inflammation is neutrophil-rich and fast; chronic inflammation is mononuclear, destructive, and fibrosing.
- Caseating granuloma vs Noncaseating granulomaCaseating granulomas have central necrosis and suggest TB/fungi; noncaseating granulomas lack necrosis and suggest sarcoid/Crohn/beryllium…
- Transudate vs ExudateTransudate is pressure-driven low-protein fluid; exudate is permeability-driven protein-rich inflammatory fluid.Video
- Thrombus vs EmbolusThrombus: a clot that forms at the site of vascular injury (Virchow triad); embolus: material that traveled and lodged in a downstream…
- Arterial thrombosis vs Venous thrombosisArterial thrombi are platelet-rich high-flow plaque clots; venous thrombi are red-cell/fibrin-rich stasis clots.
- Dry gangrene vs Wet gangreneDry gangrene is ischemic mummification without infection; wet gangrene is infected necrosis with swelling, odor, and toxicity.
- Ischemic infarct vs Hemorrhagic infarctPale infarcts are arterial occlusion in dense end-arterial organs; hemorrhagic infarcts occur with venous occlusion, dual supply, loose…
- Benign tumor vs Malignant tumorBenign tumor: encapsulated, well-differentiated, no invasion or metastasis; malignant tumor: invades the basement membrane and metastasizes.
- Carcinoma in situ vs Invasive carcinomaIn situ stays above intact basement membrane; invasive carcinoma crosses basement membrane into stroma.
- Sarcoma vs CarcinomaSarcoma is malignant mesenchyme and often hematogenous; carcinoma is malignant epithelium and often lymphatic.
- Metaplasia vs DysplasiaMetaplasia is adaptive mature cell substitution; dysplasia is premalignant atypical disordered growth.Video
- AL amyloid vs AA and ATTR amyloidAL is light chain/plasma cell; AA is chronic inflammation/SAA; ATTR is transthyretin cardiac-neuropathic amyloid.