MSN 570 Advanced Pathophysiology Final Actual
Exam 2026/2027 | United States University 150
Multiple Choice Questions with Bold Italic Answers
and Italic Explanations |verified answers 100%
1. A 68-year-old patient with chronic hypertension presents with progressive
dyspnea and fatigue. Echocardiogram reveals left ventricular hypertrophy. This
cardiac remodeling is best described as:
A) Physiological hypertrophy
B) Pathological hypertrophy
C) Compensatory hyperplasia
D) Dysplasia
Pathological hypertrophy is an increase in cell size in response to increased
workload or injury. In hypertension, the left ventricle hypertrophies to compensate
for increased afterload, but this adaptation is maladaptive and leads to further
dysfunction .
2. A patient with a chronic venous stasis ulcer has non-healing wound tissue
that shows evidence of necrosis with preservation of tissue architecture. This
type of necrosis is best described as:
A) Liquefactive necrosis
B) Coagulative necrosis
C) Caseous necrosis
D) Fat necrosis
Coagulative necrosis is the most common type of necrosis in solid organs and
occurs when ischemia causes cell death while the structural framework remains
preserved. This is characteristic of infarction .
,3. A patient with chronic alcoholism develops fatty liver. This is an example of:
A) Hypertrophy
B) Hyperplasia
C) Fatty change (steatosis)
D) Amyloidosis
Fatty change (steatosis) is the accumulation of triglycerides in cells, commonly
seen in the liver of patients with chronic alcoholism due to impaired fat
metabolism .
4. A patient with long-standing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
develops Barrett's esophagus. The normal stratified squamous epithelium is
replaced by columnar epithelium. This is an example of:
A) Dysplasia
B) Metaplasia
C) Hyperplasia
D) Anaplasia
Metaplasia is the reversible replacement of one differentiated cell type with
another in response to chronic irritation. Barrett's esophagus is a classic example .
5. A patient with a Pap smear showing abnormal cells that are not clearly
malignant but show cellular atypia and increased mitotic activity. This finding is
best described as:
A) Metaplasia
B) Hyperplasia
C) Dysplasia
D) Anaplasia
Dysplasia is a loss of cellular uniformity and architectural organization,
characterized by cellular atypia and increased mitotic activity, and is considered a
precursor to malignancy .
,6. A patient with a malignant tumor shows cells that have lost their
differentiation and have bizarre nuclei. This degree of cellular abnormality is
known as:
A) Dysplasia
B) Metaplasia
C) Anaplasia
D) Hyperplasia
Anaplasia is the loss of cellular differentiation and is a hallmark of malignancy,
characterized by pleomorphism, increased nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio, and
atypical mitotic figures .
7. A patient with carbon monoxide poisoning presents with hypoxia. The
mechanism of injury is:
A) Direct cellular damage
B) Disruption of oxidative phosphorylation
C) Impaired oxygen transport
D) Formation of free radicals
Carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin with much higher affinity than oxygen,
forming carboxyhemoglobin and impairing oxygen transport, leading to tissue
hypoxia .
8. The accumulation of abnormal proteins in the extracellular space, such as
amyloid, is characteristic of:
A) Fatty change
B) Hyaline change
C) Amyloidosis
D) Glycogen accumulation
Amyloidosis is characterized by the extracellular deposition of misfolded proteins
(amyloid) that disrupt normal tissue structure and function .
, 9. A patient with advanced liver disease presents with jaundice, ascites, and
hepatic encephalopathy. The hepatocellular injury in this case is best described
as:
A) Reversible injury
B) Irreversible injury
C) Apoptosis
D) Necroptosis
Advanced liver disease with ascites, jaundice, and encephalopathy indicates
significant loss of hepatic function and irreversible injury .
10. A patient with prolonged immobilization develops muscle atrophy. This is an
example of:
A) Physiologic atrophy
B) Pathologic atrophy
C) Compensatory hypertrophy
D) Disuse atrophy
Disuse atrophy occurs when muscles are not used due to immobilization, leading
to a decrease in cell size. This is a form of pathologic atrophy .
11. A patient immobilized in a cast for 6 weeks develops decreased muscle mass
in the affected limb. This cellular change is called:
A) Hypertrophy
B) Hyperplasia
C) Atrophy
D) Metaplasia
Atrophy is a decrease in cell size due to reduced workload, denervation, decreased
blood supply, or inadequate nutrition. Disuse atrophy of skeletal muscles occurs
rapidly with immobilization and is reversible with resumption of activity .
12. Which of the following best describes the process of apoptosis?
Exam 2026/2027 | United States University 150
Multiple Choice Questions with Bold Italic Answers
and Italic Explanations |verified answers 100%
1. A 68-year-old patient with chronic hypertension presents with progressive
dyspnea and fatigue. Echocardiogram reveals left ventricular hypertrophy. This
cardiac remodeling is best described as:
A) Physiological hypertrophy
B) Pathological hypertrophy
C) Compensatory hyperplasia
D) Dysplasia
Pathological hypertrophy is an increase in cell size in response to increased
workload or injury. In hypertension, the left ventricle hypertrophies to compensate
for increased afterload, but this adaptation is maladaptive and leads to further
dysfunction .
2. A patient with a chronic venous stasis ulcer has non-healing wound tissue
that shows evidence of necrosis with preservation of tissue architecture. This
type of necrosis is best described as:
A) Liquefactive necrosis
B) Coagulative necrosis
C) Caseous necrosis
D) Fat necrosis
Coagulative necrosis is the most common type of necrosis in solid organs and
occurs when ischemia causes cell death while the structural framework remains
preserved. This is characteristic of infarction .
,3. A patient with chronic alcoholism develops fatty liver. This is an example of:
A) Hypertrophy
B) Hyperplasia
C) Fatty change (steatosis)
D) Amyloidosis
Fatty change (steatosis) is the accumulation of triglycerides in cells, commonly
seen in the liver of patients with chronic alcoholism due to impaired fat
metabolism .
4. A patient with long-standing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
develops Barrett's esophagus. The normal stratified squamous epithelium is
replaced by columnar epithelium. This is an example of:
A) Dysplasia
B) Metaplasia
C) Hyperplasia
D) Anaplasia
Metaplasia is the reversible replacement of one differentiated cell type with
another in response to chronic irritation. Barrett's esophagus is a classic example .
5. A patient with a Pap smear showing abnormal cells that are not clearly
malignant but show cellular atypia and increased mitotic activity. This finding is
best described as:
A) Metaplasia
B) Hyperplasia
C) Dysplasia
D) Anaplasia
Dysplasia is a loss of cellular uniformity and architectural organization,
characterized by cellular atypia and increased mitotic activity, and is considered a
precursor to malignancy .
,6. A patient with a malignant tumor shows cells that have lost their
differentiation and have bizarre nuclei. This degree of cellular abnormality is
known as:
A) Dysplasia
B) Metaplasia
C) Anaplasia
D) Hyperplasia
Anaplasia is the loss of cellular differentiation and is a hallmark of malignancy,
characterized by pleomorphism, increased nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio, and
atypical mitotic figures .
7. A patient with carbon monoxide poisoning presents with hypoxia. The
mechanism of injury is:
A) Direct cellular damage
B) Disruption of oxidative phosphorylation
C) Impaired oxygen transport
D) Formation of free radicals
Carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin with much higher affinity than oxygen,
forming carboxyhemoglobin and impairing oxygen transport, leading to tissue
hypoxia .
8. The accumulation of abnormal proteins in the extracellular space, such as
amyloid, is characteristic of:
A) Fatty change
B) Hyaline change
C) Amyloidosis
D) Glycogen accumulation
Amyloidosis is characterized by the extracellular deposition of misfolded proteins
(amyloid) that disrupt normal tissue structure and function .
, 9. A patient with advanced liver disease presents with jaundice, ascites, and
hepatic encephalopathy. The hepatocellular injury in this case is best described
as:
A) Reversible injury
B) Irreversible injury
C) Apoptosis
D) Necroptosis
Advanced liver disease with ascites, jaundice, and encephalopathy indicates
significant loss of hepatic function and irreversible injury .
10. A patient with prolonged immobilization develops muscle atrophy. This is an
example of:
A) Physiologic atrophy
B) Pathologic atrophy
C) Compensatory hypertrophy
D) Disuse atrophy
Disuse atrophy occurs when muscles are not used due to immobilization, leading
to a decrease in cell size. This is a form of pathologic atrophy .
11. A patient immobilized in a cast for 6 weeks develops decreased muscle mass
in the affected limb. This cellular change is called:
A) Hypertrophy
B) Hyperplasia
C) Atrophy
D) Metaplasia
Atrophy is a decrease in cell size due to reduced workload, denervation, decreased
blood supply, or inadequate nutrition. Disuse atrophy of skeletal muscles occurs
rapidly with immobilization and is reversible with resumption of activity .
12. Which of the following best describes the process of apoptosis?
