2010-2011 academic year

Pathological Anatomy (20549)




Qualification/course:
bachelor's degree in Medicine

Year: third

Term: third

Number of ECTS credits: 7 credits

Student commitment: 175 hours

Teaching language or languages: Catalan, Spanish and English

Teaching staff: the subject coordinators are Sergi Serrano, Josep Maria Corominas and Josep Lloreta. Francesc Alameda, Carles Barranco, David Domínguez and Mar Iglesias are involved in the teaching. Various guest lecturers will also be collaborating.




1. Introduction to the subject

Pathology is a compulsory subject taught in the third year; it consists of 7 ECTS credits.

Essential requirements for passing the subject:

1. Accreditation that clear knowledge of the role of pathological anatomy in medicine and the biomedical sciences has been obtained.

2. Proven ability to integrate the information provided by Pathological Anatomy in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of the most important diseases, and possibly the prediction of the response to certain therapies.



2. Competences to be acquired

1. Recognition of the morphological, immunophenotypic, cytogenetic and molecular characteristics of diseases and the most important pathological processes.

2. Knowledge of the role of pathological anatomy in medicine and the biomedical sciences.

3. Learn to integrate the information provided by pathological anatomy in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of the most important diseases, and possibly the prediction of the response to certain therapies.



3. Contents

LECTURES


BLOC I. INTRODUCTION TO PATHOLOGY

Subject 1

Concept and history: where we come from and where we are headed.

Subject 2

Macroscopic and conventional histopathological techniques.

Subject 3

Conventional cytopathological techniques.

Subject 4

Immunohistochemical techniques and flow cytometry.

Subject 5

Cytogenetic diagnostic techniques.

Subject 6

Molecular diagnostic techniques.

Subject 7

Functional organisation and integration of data in a pathological anatomy service. Pathological anatomy and research.


BLOC II. CELL ADAPTATION, LESION AND DEATH

Subject 8

Cell adaptation responses by means of growth and differentiation.

Subject 9

Causes and mechanisms of cell damage (I)

Subject 10

Causes and mechanisms of cell damage (II).

Subject 11

Necrosis and apoptosis.

Subject 12

Intracellular cumuli and pathological calcification.


BLOC III. INFLAMMATION AND REPAIR.

Subject 13

Introduction: inflammation, repair and restoration of homeostasis.

Subject 14

The inflammatory response (II): cell and vascular components, and the morphological patterns arising from them.

Subject 15

The inflammatory response (II): the chemical component and control of the onset, evolution and end of the acute inflammatory response.

Subject 16

Chronic inflammatory response (I): origin, biological significance, cell components and their coexistence with repair processes.

Subject 17

Chronic inflammatory response (II): distinctive diagnostically useful morphological patterns (such as granuloma). 

Subject 18

Tissue repair (I): regeneration, repair and cure and how the inflammation determines the choice.

Subject 19

Tissue repair (II): granulation tissue and healing of wounds as paradigms of the repair process.


BLOC IV. CIRCULATION DISORDERS AND IMMUNOPATHOLOGY

Subject 20

Hemodynamic disorders (I).

Subject 21

Hemodynamic disorders (II).

Subject 22

Arteriosclerosis.

Subject 23

The normal immunological response as a model for understanding neoplasia in the immune system.

Subject 24

Pathology of immune disorders.

Subject 25

Autoimmune diseases.

Subject 26

Amyloidosis and related diseases.


BLOC V. NEOPLASIA

Subject 27

Cancer in figures.

Subject 28

Cancer in words (I).

Subject 29

Cancer in words (II).

Subject 30

How to make a cell tumourous (I): basic mechanisms.

Subject 31

Cellular biology of cancer (I): benchmarks in cancer.

Subject 32

Cellular biology of cancer (II): tumour stem cells. Where cancers come from.

Subject 33

How to make a cell tumourous (II): molecular mechanisms (oncogenes and suppressor genes).

Subject 34

Cellular biology of cancer (III): progession. Microenvironment. Angiogenesis. Invasion.

Subject 35

Cellular biology of cancer (IV): metastasis Immune system evasion.



SEMINARS

1. Inflammatory Skin Lesions.

2. Inflammatory Digestive System Lesions.

3. Inflammatory Kidney Lesions.

4. Larynx, Lung and Pleural Tumours.

5. Skin Tumours.

6. Digestive System Tumours.

7. Female Genital System and Mammary Gland Tumours.

8. Male Urinary and Genital System Tumours.

9. Endocrine System Tumours.

10. Tumours of the Nervous System.

11.Tumours of Soft Tissues and Bone.

12. Lymphatic Tissue Tumours.



PRACTICAL CLASSES

1. Guided visit to the Pathology Service at the Hospital del Mar.

2. Degeneration and necrosis.

3. Inflammation and repair.

4. Hyperplasia, dysplasia and neoplasia.

5. Lung cancer.

6. Skin cancer.

7. Colon cancer.

8. Mammary gland cancer.

9. Prostate and bladder cancer.

10. Cancer of the immune system (lymphoma).

  

VIRTUAL ACTIVITIES

As well as studying the subjects, the virtual activities consist of reading and viewing the materials uploaded to Campus Global, which must be done before the face-to-face theory and practical sessions to whcih they are related. Various other materials will also be uploaded, generally in microscopic image format, and these must be interpreted and studied.



4. Assessment

Academic performance is assessed as follows:

 

Accreditative assessment

Theoretical content (termly examination): 40% of the final mark

- Multiple choice test: 50%

-Short questions: 50%

Practical content (termly examination): 30% of the final mark

The practical examination is structured with multiple choice questions and short questions about projected macro- and microscopic images.

N.B.: in order to be able to take the practical examination, students must provide accreditation that they have attended at least 90% of the practical sessions. Absences must be justified, and the workbook for the practical session concerned must be handed in. Failure to provide accreditation of an appropriate level in the practical aspects will lead to a failure in the subject.

A minimum grade level of 4 must be obtained in both the theory and the practical examination in order to pass the subject (so for example, a case in which a grade of 4 was obtained in the theoretical knowledge and the practical tests received a grade of 6 would lead to both parts of the subject being passed; but a case in which a grade of 3.5 was obtained in the theory examination and 7 in the practical would lead to the theory examination being failed). Failure to pass one of these two parts (theory or practical) will lead to the grade for the part of the course passed being held over until the September examination.

Continuing assessment: 30%

Continuing assessment of the acquisition of theoretical and practical knowledge will take place in various sessions (one for each theory bloc) using Moodle, and will consist of theoretical questionnaires combined with microscopic images.

 

5. Bibliography and teaching resources

5.1. Basic bibliography

The basic books for the subject are:

KUMAR; ABBAS; FAUSTO; ROBBINS; CONTRAN. Patología estructural y funcional. 8th ed. Madrid: Elsevier, 2008. [Interactive CD-ROM of clinical cases].

5.2. Complementary bibliography

As well as the specific bibliography for complementing some specific areas, we recommend the following reference books:

KLATT, C.; Edward ROBBINS and CONTRAN. Atlas of Pathology. Madrid: Elsevier, 2006.

MILLS STACEY, E. Histology for Pathologists. 3rd ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007.

NETTER'S ILLUSTRATED. Human Pathology.

Robin REID; Fiona ROBERTIS. Pathology Illustrated. 6th ed. Madrid: Elsevier, 2005.

PARDO, F. J. Anatomía patológica. Madrid: Mosby/Doyma, 1997.

STEVENS, A.; LOWE, J. Anatomía patológica. Madrid: Harcourt, 2000.

WHEATER. Histopatología básica. 4th ed. Madrid: Elsevier, 2003. [Atlas and text in colour].

http:// www.robbinspathology.com

http:// www.acmcb.es/societats/anatomia

http:// www.uscap.org

5.3. Teaching resources

The subject website contains the PowerPoint versions of all the topics and seminars, and texts of selected chapters in Word format. Students should look at the images and read the texts before attending theory and practical classes in order to familiarise themselves with the contents and thereby take more advantage of face-to-face activities.

6. Methodology

7. Programme of activities