What is the hallmark histopathological feature of granulomatous inflammation?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the hallmark histopathological feature of granulomatous inflammation?
Neutrophilic infiltration
Caseous necrosis
Lymphocytic infiltration
Epithelioid cell formation
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the hallmark histopathological feature of granulomatous inflammation?
Step 1: Understand what granulomatous inflammation is. It is a type of inflammation that occurs when the immune system tries to wall off substances it perceives as foreign but is unable to eliminate.
Step 2: Identify the hallmark feature of this type of inflammation. The key characteristic is the formation of epithelioid cells.
Step 3: Recognize that epithelioid cells are a type of macrophage that have transformed to look like epithelial cells. They are larger and have a more organized appearance.
Step 4: Note that this feature is commonly seen in diseases such as tuberculosis, where the body forms granulomas to contain the infection.