NURS 3366 AO Patho Exam 2 Actual Exam 2026/2027 – Complete Exam-Style
Questions with Detailed Rationales | 100% Verified | Pass Guaranteed – A+
Graded
Section A: Cellular Adaptation, Injury, & Death
Q1: A 55-year-old woman taking tamoxifen for breast cancer undergoes endometrial
biopsy, which reveals an increased number of endometrial glandular cells. This
reversible cellular adaptation is BEST described as:
A. Hypertrophy
B. Metaplasia
C. Hyperplasia [CORRECT]
D. Dysplasia
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in the number of cells in a tissue or organ, often
hormonally mediated. Tamoxifen has estrogenic effects on the endometrium,
stimulating glandular proliferation. Hypertrophy involves increased cell size, metaplasia
involves cell type replacement, and dysplasia involves disordered maturation with
atypia.
Q2: A 70-year-old male with chronic uncontrolled hypertension has an echocardiogram
showing a left ventricular wall thickness of 15 mm (normal ≤10 mm). This increase in
individual cell size without an increase in cell number is classified as:
,A. Hyperplasia
B. Atrophy
C. Hypertrophy [CORRECT]
D. Metaplasia
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Hypertrophy is the increase in cell size resulting in enlargement of the tissue
or organ, commonly seen in cardiac muscle in response to chronic pressure overload
from hypertension. Cardiac myocytes are terminally differentiated and do not undergo
hyperplasia.
Q3: A patient with advanced cancer cachexia and prolonged immobilization
demonstrates a 20% reduction in skeletal muscle mass and decreased liver size on
imaging. This reduction in cell size and organ mass is BEST described as:
A. Apoptosis
B. Necrosis
C. Atrophy [CORRECT]
D. Metaplasia
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Atrophy is the decrease in cell size and number due to decreased workload,
malnutrition, ischemia, or hormonal stimulation. Cancer cachexia and disuse lead to
protein catabolism and organ shrinkage. Apoptosis and necrosis are forms of cell
death, not adaptive size reduction.
, Q4: A patient with acute kidney injury from prolonged hypotension has a renal biopsy
showing ghost outlines of tubules, loss of nuclei, and intensely eosinophilic cytoplasm
with preserved tissue architecture. This pattern of cell death is:
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Caseous necrosis
C. Coagulative necrosis [CORRECT]
D. Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Coagulative necrosis is characteristic of ischemic injury in solid organs such
as the heart, kidney, and spleen, where denaturation of structural proteins preserves
tissue architecture temporarily. Liquefactive necrosis occurs in the brain and with
bacterial infection, caseous necrosis is seen in tuberculosis, and fat necrosis occurs in
pancreatic injury.
Q5: A patient with a bacterial brain abscess undergoes drainage. Histology of the
abscess wall reveals liquefied necrotic tissue surrounded by neutrophils and
macrophages. This type of necrosis is classified as:
A. Coagulative necrosis
B. Liquefactive necrosis [CORRECT]
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Gangrenous necrosis
Questions with Detailed Rationales | 100% Verified | Pass Guaranteed – A+
Graded
Section A: Cellular Adaptation, Injury, & Death
Q1: A 55-year-old woman taking tamoxifen for breast cancer undergoes endometrial
biopsy, which reveals an increased number of endometrial glandular cells. This
reversible cellular adaptation is BEST described as:
A. Hypertrophy
B. Metaplasia
C. Hyperplasia [CORRECT]
D. Dysplasia
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in the number of cells in a tissue or organ, often
hormonally mediated. Tamoxifen has estrogenic effects on the endometrium,
stimulating glandular proliferation. Hypertrophy involves increased cell size, metaplasia
involves cell type replacement, and dysplasia involves disordered maturation with
atypia.
Q2: A 70-year-old male with chronic uncontrolled hypertension has an echocardiogram
showing a left ventricular wall thickness of 15 mm (normal ≤10 mm). This increase in
individual cell size without an increase in cell number is classified as:
,A. Hyperplasia
B. Atrophy
C. Hypertrophy [CORRECT]
D. Metaplasia
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Hypertrophy is the increase in cell size resulting in enlargement of the tissue
or organ, commonly seen in cardiac muscle in response to chronic pressure overload
from hypertension. Cardiac myocytes are terminally differentiated and do not undergo
hyperplasia.
Q3: A patient with advanced cancer cachexia and prolonged immobilization
demonstrates a 20% reduction in skeletal muscle mass and decreased liver size on
imaging. This reduction in cell size and organ mass is BEST described as:
A. Apoptosis
B. Necrosis
C. Atrophy [CORRECT]
D. Metaplasia
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Atrophy is the decrease in cell size and number due to decreased workload,
malnutrition, ischemia, or hormonal stimulation. Cancer cachexia and disuse lead to
protein catabolism and organ shrinkage. Apoptosis and necrosis are forms of cell
death, not adaptive size reduction.
, Q4: A patient with acute kidney injury from prolonged hypotension has a renal biopsy
showing ghost outlines of tubules, loss of nuclei, and intensely eosinophilic cytoplasm
with preserved tissue architecture. This pattern of cell death is:
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Caseous necrosis
C. Coagulative necrosis [CORRECT]
D. Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Coagulative necrosis is characteristic of ischemic injury in solid organs such
as the heart, kidney, and spleen, where denaturation of structural proteins preserves
tissue architecture temporarily. Liquefactive necrosis occurs in the brain and with
bacterial infection, caseous necrosis is seen in tuberculosis, and fat necrosis occurs in
pancreatic injury.
Q5: A patient with a bacterial brain abscess undergoes drainage. Histology of the
abscess wall reveals liquefied necrotic tissue surrounded by neutrophils and
macrophages. This type of necrosis is classified as:
A. Coagulative necrosis
B. Liquefactive necrosis [CORRECT]
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Gangrenous necrosis
