BMS Pathology and Microbiology 4

Question 1

At autopsy, diffuse alveolar damage with hyaline membrane formation is the hallmark lesion of:

Accepted Answer

Acute respiratory distress syndrome

Answer

ARDS is characterized histologically by diffuse alveolar damage with protein-rich hyaline membranes lining alveolar ducts.

Question 2

Which type of emboli is most commonly found at autopsy in cases of sudden death following long bone fractures?

Accepted Answer

Fat emboli

Answer

Long bone fractures release bone marrow fat globules that can embolize to the pulmonary vasculature, causing fat embolism syndrome.

Question 3

Pseudomembranous colitis, diagnosed at autopsy, is most commonly caused by:

Accepted Answer

Clostridioides difficile

Answer

C. difficile toxins A and B cause mucosal damage and characteristic pseudomembrane formation, usually following antibiotic therapy.

Question 4

Which staining method best demonstrates fungal organisms such as Histoplasma capsulatum in postmortem tissue?

Accepted Answer

Gomori methenamine silver (GMS)

Answer

GMS stain colors fungal cell walls black against a green background, making it the standard method for detecting fungi in tissue.

Question 5

The presence of Negri bodies in Purkinje cells of the cerebellum at autopsy is diagnostic of:

Accepted Answer

Rabies

Answer

Negri bodies are eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions containing viral nucleocapsid material, pathognomonic for rabies virus infection.

BMS - Bachelor of Mortuary Science Practice Test