Check list for pathology university exam and class tests.

Prepared by Dr.Mani Prabhu.

I can assure you that least 90% of questions will be from this bank. Make sure that you revise all the must
know topics on the day before the examination. The distinction question are for those who are more
academically inclined. :)
GENERAL PATHOLOGY
Lesson 1 Cellular adaptations and cell injury.
Must know
1. Metaplasia
2. Hyperplasia
3. Differences between necrosis and apoptosis (better in tabular form)
4. Morphological features of reversible and irreversible injury (with diagrams)
5. Types of necrosis with diagram (fat necrosis most important)
6. Morphology of apoptosis
7. Mechanisms of apoptosis (Atleast the basics prepare it for short notes)
8. Steatosis
9. Lipofuscin
10. Dystrophic and metastatic calcification (Very important. Try to prepare a table listing out the
differences)
11. Gangrene. Difference between dry and wet gangrene.
Distinction question (only if you have time)
1. Short notes on oxidative stress
2. Short notes on cytoskeletal abnormalities
3. Defects in protein folding
Lesson 2 Inflammation
Must know
1. Differences between exudates and transudate ( From Harshmohan -baby)
2. Diapedesis
3. Chemotaxis - very important
4. Phagocytosis (only the basics)
5. Chemical mediators of inflammation (prepare yourself short notes)
6. Arachidonic acid metabolites
7. Granulomatous inflammation
8. Types of giant cells and their morphology.
Distinction questions (only if you have time)
1. Leukocyte transmigration
2. Selectins (notes for 5 mrk)
3. Integrins (notes for 5 mrk)
4. Role of reactive oxygen intermediates in microbial killing
5. Defects in leukocyte function
6. Complement cascade and disorders
7. TNF
8. Chemokines
9. Fibrinous inflammation
10. Acute phase proteins
11. Lymphedema
Lesson 3 tissue renewal and repair
Must know
1. Liver regeneration
 2. Angiogenesis
3. Healing by first and second intention
4. Factors influencing wound healing
5. Complications of wound healing
(except for wound healing questions from this lesson are rare)
Distinction questions (only if you have time)
1. Growth factors
2. Collagen
3. Keloids
4. Granulation tissue

Lesson 4 Hemodynamic disorders

Whole lesson is important. Dont miss this lesson
Must know
1. CVC liver, spleen, lung (grass and histology)
2. Pathogenesis of thrombosis: Virchows triad
3. Differences between arterial and venous thrombi
4. Fate of a thrombus
5. Difference between phlebothrombosis and thrombophlebosis
6. Embolism: full
7. Red and white infarct (Very important)
8. Septic infarcts
9. Types and pathogenesis of septic shock (Very important -With diagram)
Distinction questions
1. Stages of shock
2. Pathogenesis of cardiogenic edema

Lesson 5 Genetics
Though essential in every other aspect, except the following five topics (very very
important), I personally expect no other question from this lesson in university exam. Not to
waste time in this lesson at the eleventh hour
Must know
1. Marfans syndrome
2. Ehlers Danlos syndromes (only the basics)
3. Downs syndrome (with diag)
4. Turner syndrome (with diag)
5. Barr body
Distinction questions
1. Transmission pattern and characteristics of
a. Autosomal dominant
b. Autosomal recessive
c. X- linked recessive disorders
2. Tay sachs disease
3. Hurlers and hunters syndrome
4. Von gierkes disease
5. Sex chromatin
6. Klinefelter
7. Fragile X syndrome
8. Genomic imprinting (only the basics)
Lesson 6 Immunity
Important lesson. Your knowledge of microbiology should help
Must know
1. T- lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes
2. Antigen presenting cells
3. NK cells
4. Type 1, type 2, type 3 and type4 hypersensitivity
5. SLE (Important -only the basics)
6. LE cell (Important -notes for 5 makrs)
7. Kidney manifestations in SLE
8. AIDS Full (pathogenesis, CRS involvement, natural history, aids defining conditions,
kaposi's sarcoma) can be asked as case (very important)
9. Amyloidosis (Prepare notes for 5 marks) - Again very important
10. Difference between sago spleen and lardaceous spleen

Distinction questions:
1. Cytokines: types and functions
2. HLA molecules (notes for 5 marks)
3. Arthus reaction for 5 marks
4. Types and morphology of graft rejection (prepare notes for 5 marks)
5. Anergy
6. Digeorge syndrome

Lesson 7 neoplasia
Except for p53 and RB (important), the whole of molecular level of cancer path can be
skipped exams, though you might need them for better understanding
Must know
1. Characteristics of benign and malignant tumors.
2. Diff between benign and malignant tumors (as table)
3. Metastasis: pathways of spread of tumor (very important)
4. P53-as guardian of human genome (With diag)
5. Retinoblastoma: two hig hypothesis of RB gene
6. Chemical carcinogenesis (etiology, pathogenesis)
7. Viral carcinogenesis (HPV-very important) - Important
8. Paraneoplatic syndromes - very important
9. Tumor markers (oncofetal antigens-very important)
Distinction questions:
1. Differences between anaplasia and dysplasia (prepare notes for 5 marks)
2. 5 occupational cancers with their etiologic agent
3. Oncogenes (notes for 5 marks)
4. Radiation carcinogenesis
5. Tumor antigens (notes for 5 marks)
6. Laboratory diagnosis of cancer (basic points only)
Lesson 8 Infectious diseases
Must Know:
Pathogenesis, morphology, c/f and complications of TB (very very important)
1. Other important questions in tuberculosis:
a. Ghons focus
 b. Ghons complex or primary complex
c. Ranke complex
d. Progressive pulmonary tuberculosis
e. Military tuberculosis
f. Pots spine
g. Scrofula
2. Leprosy (types, pathogenesis and c/f) - important
3. Stages, pathogenesis and c/f of syphilis
4. Black water fever and cerebral malaria
5. Typhoid fever
6. Amoebic liver abscess
7. Hydatid cyst
8. Actinomycosis
9. Madura foot
10. Rhinosporidiosis
Distinction questions:
All other infectious diseases (I would advice not to waste time in this lesion at the last minute. Your
knowledge of micro is more than enough for handling this lesion. Tuberculosis and syphilis is all that is
needed in path)
Lesson 9 Environment and nutrition
Chances of getting a question from this chapter are near to nil. If at all, you might get
1. Rickets
Distinction questions:
1. Radiation injury
2. PEM

Lesson 10 Infancy and childhood

Again, other than Wilms tumor, chances of getting a question is less, as seen from previous
papers. But still, an important lesson.
Must know:
1. Immune hydrops
2. Cystic fibrosis (though important has not been asked in any question papers mostly know only
the basics)
3. Wilms tumor or nephroblastoma (very important)
Distinction questions:
1. Neuroblastoma
2. Phenyketonuria
3. Necrotizing enterocolitis
4. Respiratory distress syndrome

SYSTEMIC PATHOLOGY
Hematology
Please note that the whole of hematology account for nearly 40% of marks in paper 1.
Must study topics.
10 marks or LONG CASE
The pathogenesis, peripheral blood picture, bone marrow picture, other relevant morphology,
INVESTIGATIONS (for investigations, you might refer to Alagappan - manual of medicine
separately under each heading) , c/f of
1. Sickle cell disease
2. B- thallasemia
3. Megaloblastic anemia, esp. pernicious anemia
4. Iron deficiency anemia
5. Hemophilia A
6. ALL
7. CLL
8. Multiple myeloma
9. Hodgkin disease- types, pathogenesis, basic morphology of each type and their prognosis, clinical
features
10. AML (In addition to the general headings, you need to know atleast the basics of FAB
classification)
 11. CML (pathophysiology, morphology and investigations)
12. Polycythemia vera

All these 12 questions are must read for all hematology exams
Important note:
Before diagnosing the case, please make sure that the age of the concerned patient coincides with
the age group affected, for that particular disease, as given in Robbins. Also look for
characteristic symptoms like lymphadenopathy, bone tenderness, abrupt onset, massive
splenomegaly, cancer cachexia, etc. These clue words in the case are directly picked from
Robbins. So dont miss the clinical features of any suspected long case. For all investigations for
any long case, refer to Alagappan- manual of medicine.
Again please note that more than 50% of previous paper 1 question papers have CML (massive
splenomegaly) as the long answer.
Short notes for Lesson 13 RBCs and platelets
Must know:
1. Classification of anemia, according to underlying pathology
2. Heriditary spherocytosis (pathogenesis and morphology)
3. Howell jolly bodies (prepare notes)
4. Heinz bodies (prepare notes)
5. Bone marrow picture in megaloblastic anemia
6. Pathophysiology of B-thalassemia
7. Aplastic anemia- very important 5 mark- prepare notes for 5 marks, incorporating all the
headings.
8. Von willebrand disease
9. Hemophilia A and B
10. DIC Very important. Prepare notes for 5 marks. For pathophysiology, the flow chart in Robbins
is enough.
Distinction questions in 5 marks:
1. -thallasemia (Just know the types, genetics of each condition and the outcome)
2. Immuno hemolytic anemia (only the table in Robbins is more than enough)
3. ITP

Short notes for Lesson 14 WBCs

Must know:
1. Agranulocytosis very important, highly repeated (prepare notes for 5 marks under the headings-
pathogenesis, morphology and c/f)
2. Leukimoid reaction important
3. Burkitt's lymphoma again very important
4. Follicular lymphoma
5. Hairy cell leukemia
6. Reed-sternberg cell- pathogenesis, types and morphology (with diagram) - Very important
7. Differences between Hodgkins and Non-Hodgkins lymphoma
8. Myeloblasts morphology
9. Morphology of MDS syndrome
10. Gandy gamma bodies in CVC spleen
11. The Philadelphia chromosome (Important0

Distinction questions in 5 marks:

1. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (rare)
 2. Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (rare)
3. Mantle cell lymphoma (rare)
4. Sezary syndrome
5. Histicytosis (LCL)
Other very important general 5 mark questions in hematology:
1. ABO incompatibility
2. Rh incompatibility
3. Coombs test
4. Packed cell volume (PCV)

Lesson 11 Blood vessels

Apart from Atherosclerosis, other topics are generally not important for univ. exams.
Must know:
1. Pathogenesis of atherosclerosis highly repeated (prepare notes for 5 marks)
2. Morphology of atherosclerotic plaque 5 marks
3. Aortic dissection 5 marks
Distinction questions:
1. Types and morphology of aneurysms
2. PAN (rare)
3. Wegener's granulomatosis (very rare)

Lesson 12 The heart

10 marks or long questions:
1. Myocardial infarction pathogenesis, morphology, investigations and diagnosis, complications
(prepare notes for 10 marks very important)
2. Rheumatic heart disease pathogenetic sequence, morphology and investigations, diagnosis
(Highly repeated)
3. Infective endocarditis etiology, morphology and diagnostic criteria (Very important)

5 marks:
1. Mitral valve prolapse
2. Types of angina
3. Causes and types of pericarditis (rare)
Lesson 15 The Lung
10 mark cases:
1. Bronchiectais (very important)
2. Asthma
3. Emphysema
4. Ca lung Squamous cell Ca, AdenoCa, Small cell, Large cell gross pathology , histology and
prognosis. Local effects of tumor spread (very important. Local effects can be asked as short
notes also)
Must know in 5 marks:
1. Pathogenesis and types of emphysema (very important)
2. Asbestosis
3. Pneumoconiosis (prepare notes for 5 marks)
4. Pulmonary embolism
5. Etiology and morphology of community acquired pneumonia (Very important)
6. Lung abscess (important)
7. Pancoast tumors ( highly repeated)
Distinction questions in 5 marks:
1. Types and causes of atelectasis
2. Diffuse alveolar damage or ARDS
3. Goodpasture syndrome (rare)
4. Pananeoplastic syndromes, associated with lung Ca

Lesson 16 Head and Neck

All that is needed here is pleomorphic adenoma, which is seen in alternating
question papers. If you are still interested, I would recommend Warthin tumor
Must know:
1. Pleomorhic adenoma (very important 5 mark)
Distinction questions:
1. Warthin tumor
2. Leukoplakia and erythroplakia (premalignant lesions of oral cavity)

Lesion 17 The GIT

Very important 10 mark cases:
1. Peptic ulcer (etiological factors, role of H. pylori, morphology, complications)
2. Gastric carcinoma etiology and risk factors, morphology and types, Virchow node metastasis, -
Sister Mary Joseph nodule, Krukenberg tumor.
3. Crohn's disease (also 5 marks very important)
4. Ulcerative colitis (also 5 marks very important)
5. Colorectal Ca etiology, morphology of right sided and left sided lesions, C/f, STAGING.

All these 5 questions are essential must-read for all GIT exams
Please note that iron deficiency anemia in an elderly male is due to GIT cancer, unless proved
otherwise.
Must know in 5 marks:
1. Achalasia cardia
2. Barrett cosophagus very important
3. Types of gastritis and H. pylori as an etiological agent.
4. Celiac disease important
5. Adenoma colon and rectum (types, morphology, risk of malignancy, prognosis, clinical impact)
6. FAP syndrome
7. Staging of Colorectal carcinoma - Important
8. Carcinoid tumors (prepare notes for 5 marks under location, morphology, c/f of carcinoid
syndrome)
9. Pseudomyxoma peritonei
10. Intestinal polyps - types, morphology and prognosis - Important

Distinction questions (5 marks):

1. Gatrointestinal stromal tumors
2. Congenital megacolon

Very rare:
1. Ca Esophagus (know only the basics)
2. Pseudomembranous colitis.

Lesson 18a The Liver

More than long case, 5 marks are more important in this lesson
10 marks case:
1. Jaundice and portal hypertension (know the basics, the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations,
morphology)
2. Hepatocellular carcinoma
Must know in 5 marks:
1. Etiology and key morphology of viral hepatitis
2. Alcoholic liver disease pathogenesis, different stages and morphology of each, c/f. very
important can also be asked as 10 mark case.
3. Metastasic lesions in liver

Viral and alcoholic hepatitis are must know topics in this lesson.
Distinction questions:
1. Pathogenesis of ascites
2. Indian childhood cirrhosis (refer any pediatrics book)
3. Wilsons disease (rare)
4. Primary biliary cirrhosis (rare)

Lesson 18b The Biliary tract

Very important lesson. Not to be ignored.
10 mark case:
1. Acute cholecystitis Very important (clue : fertile fatty female of forty)
Must know in 5 mark:
1. Cholelithiasis (gallstones) repeated (can also be asked as long question)

Lesson 19 The pancreas

10 mark case:
1. Acute pancreatitis (important)
5 mark questions:
1. Chronic pancreatitis rare
2. Pancreatic pseudocyst rare

Lesson 20 The kidney

Very important. Will consume lots of time. Better keep this one thorough before
hand, and not to sit on this lesson on the day before the exam. Or else you would end up
studying only Kidney.
Must know:
1. Acute Glomerulonephirits (post streptococcal)
2. Rapid progressive GN
3. Nephrotic syndrome pathology and pathogenesis (Very important)
4. Minimal change disease (very important)
5. Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
6. Membranoproliferative GN
7. Basics about the pathogenesis and stages of ATN
8. Urolithiais (Highly highly repeated)
9. Chronic GN
10. Acute pyelonephritis
11. Chronic pyelonephritis pathogenesis and morphology.
12. Granular conracted kidney (prepare notes for 5 marks) - Important
Distinction questions:
1. Both types of polycystic kidney disease and the differences between them
2. Membranous nephropathy
3. Kimmelstein Wilson disease or diabetic glomerulosclerosis (5 marks)
4. Flea bitten kidney (5 marks)
5. Pathogenesis of Hemolytic uremic syndrome (basics)
6. Renal cell carcinoma (only basics)

Lesson 21 The Male genital system

Both male and female genital systems have been repeatedly asked in exams. Very
important.
Must know:
1. Germ cell tumors
2. Seminoma 5 mrks Very important
3. Premalignant lesions of penis 5 marks (Can refer Sanjay Azad surgery also)
4. Basics about Benign prostratic hypertrophy
5. Ca prostrate morphology, GRADING and STAGING, investigations (PSA, PSA density, PSA
velocity) - Very important
6. Cryptorchidism

Rare 5 marks:
1. Testicular lymphoma.

Lesson 22 The female genital tract

Must know:
1. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)
2. Ca cervix pathogenesis morphology and staging - Very important
3. Endometriosis and adenomyosis (5 marks)
4. Ca endometrium (the basics)
5. Leiomyoma - Very important
6. OVARIAN TUMORS (prepare each tumor for 5 marks and the entire for marks very very
important especially germ cell tumors) - Highly repeated question
7. Hydatidiform mole & differences between complete and partial mole . Choriocarcinoma - very
important
Distinction questions:
1. Pelvic inflammatory disease (5 marks)
2. Sarcoma botyroides
3. Menstrual changes in endometrium
4. Brenner tumor (5 marks)
5. Sex cord stromal tumors (prepare for 5 marks)

Lesson 23 The Breast

High yield lesson Ca breast will keep repeating itself in some form or another. All
these 8 questions are very high yield in exams. Sometime Ca breast can come as the long
case too.
Must know:
1. Mammographic signs of Ca breast
2. Fibrocystic breast disease
3. Just know the risk factors for Ca breast
 4. Carcinoma in- situ (both ductal and lobular)
5. Paget's disease (Very important)
6. Types and morphology of invasive breast carcinoma
7. Prognostic factors for breast Ca (Very important)
8. Fibroadenoma (Very important)
Distinction questions:
1. Sclerosing adenosis and radial scar
2. Different between BRCA1 and BRCA2
3. Phyllodes tumor

Lesson 24 The endocrine system

Except for the following questions and DIABETES (important 10 mark case), other
topics can be conveniently skipped for univ. and class exams.
Must know:
1. Hashimotos thyroiditis
2. Graves disease (Very important)
3. Simple goiter
4. Multinodular goiter (Very important)
5. Types of Ca thyroid and morphology of papillary carcinoma thyroid
6. Diabetes mellitus classification, pathogenesis of type 1 and type 2, morphology, complications
and investigations. Diff between type 1 and type 2. ( Very important)
7. Cushing's syndrome (Important)
8. Pheochromocytoma
Rare:
1. Hyperparathyroidism
2. Adrenal insufficiency

Lesson 25 The skin

Only these FIVE questions need to be studied in this lesson. Never miss on these.
Very very high yield.

Must know:
1. Squamous cell carcinoma (prepare notes for 5 marks)
2. Basal cell carcinoma (5 marks)
3. Malignant melanoma
4. Pre malignant lesions of the skin (refer Sanjay Azad surgery)
5. Mycosis fungoides

Lesson 26 Bones
Very important. Not to be ignored
Must know:
1. Osteopetrosis
2. Osteoporosis (rare know only the basics)
3. Paget disease (Important)
4. Osteomyelitis pyogenic and TB (potts spine) - Very important
5. Osteosarcoma (prepare notes for both 10 and 5 marks) - Very important
6. Chondrosaroma (5 marks)
7. Ewing sarcoma (sure 5 marks) - Very important
8. Giant cell tumor or osteoclastoma - Very important.
Lesson 27 Peripheral nervous system can be conveniently skipped.
If your conscience still doesnt agree, read it after your exams!!!
Lesson 28 The CNS
Selected questions are very important. Dont waste time at the eleventh hour, however, reading
unnecessary details. You can go to exams confidently only with these questions in CNS. They
are very important.
1. CSF findings in different types of meningitis (Read Robbins and also prepare yourself a tabular
column referring to med books or applied micro notes)
2. Brain abscess.
3. TB menigitis Morphology, investigations and c/f
4. Berry aneurysm (5marks)
5. Astrocytoma
6. Meningioma (5 marks)
7. Schwannoma (5 marks)

Lesson 29 The eye can be read after your univ. exams!

All the best. Wishing you all success.

Dr. Mani Prabhu

JR, Department of Pharmacology,
JIPMER