Acinus | The functional unit of the lung: a respiratory
bronchiole and its alveolar ducts and alveolar sacs.
(Note: The definition of "acinus" varies somewhat in
the literature) |
Angiocentric | A descriptive term for lesions that appear to center on
vessels. Angiocentricity may be appreciated with
lesions that are actually centered on vessels (either
arteries or veins) or with lesions that are distributed
around the vessels and which may or may not
secondarily infiltrate the vessels. "Angiocentric"
should be distinguished from "angiotropic", which
describes intravascular lymphomatosis (angiotropic
lymphoma) as well as any lesion prone to intraluminal
invasion of a vessel |
Asbestos body | A ferruginous body with an asbestos (thin translucent)
core |
Bronchiolitis obliterans | A histologic term referring to 2 broad groups of
lesions: proliferative bronchiolitis obliterans with
granulation tissue polyps filling small airways, and
fibrotic bronchiolitis obliterans with permanent
scarring and stenosis or obliteration of airways.
Proliferative bronchiolitis obliterans is often associated
with organizing pneumonia in which the same
reparative reaction that is present in the bronchiole
extends out into more distal parenchyma. Histologic
bronchiolitis obliterans may or may not be associated
with clinical evidence of airway obstruction |
Capillaritis | Mural inflammation (vasculitis) of the capillaries
analogous to leukocytoclastic vasculitis at other sites |
Cellular bronchiolitis | Cellular infiltrates, either acute or chronic, that
involve bronchioles and that are usually mural,
although a luminal acute inflammatory exudate is
frequently present |
Diffuse alveolar damage | (DAD) A nonspecific acute response to lung injury,
primarily affecting alveoli and alveolar walls. DAD
includes both acute injury and repair phases. DAD is
the usual histologic correlate of the ARDS |
Exudate | Cells, cellular debris, and/or fibrin (with or without
edema fluid) within airspaces |
Ferruginous body | Particulate material covered by hemosiderin,
highlighted by iron (Prussian blue) stains. A subset of
ferruginous bodies are asbestos bodies, which usually
have a beaded surface, club-shaped ends, and a central
thin translucent core; the last feature is diagnostic of
an asbestos body |
Follicular bronchitis/
bronchiolitis | Lymphoid hyperplasia with germinal center formation
along airways |
Honeycombing | An end-stage lesion seen with many pulmonary
injuries, usually chronic interstitial pneumonias. The
lung architecture is permanently reorganized into
functionally useless tissue |
Hyaline membranes | Dense eosinophilic membranes seen in a number of
acute lung diseases, usually DAD. Hyaline membranes
are most prominent in and along the surfaces of
alveolar ducts. Hyaline membranes are composed of
fibrin, cell debris, hemorrhage, and proteinous
material |
Interstitial fibrosis | Interstitial thickening resulting from mature collagen
deposition (as contrasted to edematous new connective
tissue) in the interstitium and organization in airspaces |
Interstitial infiltrate | An infiltrate of cells, regardless of type, in the
interstitium. Usually the cells are mononuclear;
however, interstitial infiltrates of neutrophils and
eosinophils are also recognized |
Interstitium | Includes alveolar walls, interlobular septa, and
connective tissue around bronchovascular structures |
Lambertosis | Bronchiolar epithelial metaplasia occurring in
peribronchiolar regions of scarred bronchioles,
presumably extending through Lambert's canals |
Lobule | The pulmonary lobule (sometimes called the secondary
lobule) refers to an anatomic unit of lung parenchyma,
0.50 to 2.00 cm in diameter, bounded by interlobular
septa. Lobules can be appreciated on cut section of
lung tissue and on the pleural surface, and they usually
comprise some ten to 10-30 acini |
Lymphatic distribution | A low-power distribution appreciated in a number of
diffuse lung diseases in which the pathologic changes
are seen along the lymphatic routes: in the pleura, in
the interlobular septa, and along bronchovascular
bundles. The lymphatic vessels themselves are often
not appreciated as such |
Lymphoid hyperplasia | Lymphoid follicles containing germinal centers, usually
found in a lymphatic distribution |
Miliary distribution | Lesions (usually small nodules) appear randomly
scattered throughout the lung. Sometimes they may
appear perivenular in distribution. Miliary nodules
are characteristic of hematogenous granulomatous
infections and some viral infections |
Obstructive pneumonia | Changes seen in the lung parenchyma distal to an
obstruction, regardless of cause. This disorder
typically includes accumulation of foamy macrophages
within alveoli, inspissated mucus, prominent Type II
alveolar lining cells, mononuclear interstitial
infiltrates, and, in some cases, organizing pneumonia |
Old granuloma | A term for a nodule with fibrotic rim and necrotic
center that is usually, but not always, the result of an
old healed infectious granuloma. A palisaded
histiocytic rim around the necrosis may be present |
Organizing pneumonia | A reparative reaction in the lung with organizing
granulation tissue filling alveolar ducts and associated
alveoli with only focal attachment to the interstitium
where the proliferation originates. Proliferative
bronchiolitis obliterans often accompanies this
reaction. This type of reaction is associated with
modest interstitial infiltrates and prominent Type II
alveolar lining cells, and it should be distinguished
from interstitial fibrosis |
Peribronchiolar | A distribution of pathologic changes around small
airways including the wall of bronchioles and the
immediately adjacent alveoli |
Septal | Septal refers to the interlobular septa and structures in them,
including veins, lymphatics, and connective tissue.
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