MEDizzy - A 53-year-old woman has experienced abdominal pain for 2

Feed Library Learning Discuss Leaderboard Journal

Inflammation and Repair

A 53-year-old woman has experienced abdominal pain for 2 weeks. She is afebrile. There is mild upper abdominal tenderness on palpation, and bowel sounds are present. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is performed. The microscopic examination shows a biopsy specimen of a duodenal lesion. Which of the following pathologic processes is most likely present?

ExplanationInflammation involving an epithelial surface may cause such extensive necrosis that the surface becomes eroded, forming an ulcer. If the inflammation continues, the ulcer can continue to penetrate downward into submucosa and muscularis. Alternatively, the ulcer may heal, or it may remain chronically inflamed. An abscess is a localized collection of neutrophils in tissues. A caseating granuloma is granulomatous inflammation with central necrosis; the necrosis has elements of both liquefaction and coagulative necrosis. Chronic inflammation occurs when there is a preponderance of mononuclear cells, such as lymphocytes, macrophages, and plasma cells, in a process that has gone on for more than a few days—more likely weeks or months—or that accompanies repeated bouts of acute inflammation.