Question
A 30-year-old woman presents with a 2-month history of fatigue, mild fever, and an erythematous scaling rash. She also notes joint pain and swelling, primarily involving the small bones of her fingers. Physical examination reveals erythematous plaques with adherent silvery scales that induce punctate bleeding points when removed. The biopsy of lesional skin is shown in the image. Which of the following terms best describes this adaptation to chronic injury in this patient with psoriasis?
| A. |
Atrophy
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| B. |
Hypertrophy
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| C. |
Hyperplasia
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| D. |
Metaplasia
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Show Answer
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Correct Answer � C
Explanation
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Ans.C. Hyperplasia
The histopathological image depicted in the question is of Psoriasis which is a disease of the dermis and epidermis that is characterized by persistent epidermal hyperplasia.
It is a chronic, frequently familial disorder that features large, erythematous, scaly plaques, commonly on the dorsal extensor cutaneous surfaces.
There is evidence to suggest that deregulation of epidermal proliferation and an abnormality in the microcirculation of the dermis is responsible for the development of psoriatic lesions.
Abnormal proliferation of keratinocytes is thought to be related to defective epidermal cell surface receptors and altered intracellular signaling.
The other choices do not describe increased numbers of otherwise normal epidermal cells.
