SBA — Single Best Answer · Review
Question 382
Pathology → General
Classification
Question
SSBAQuestion Header
A patient has had a persistent chronic inflammatory disorder for many years. In addition to mild fever, anaemia, leucocytosis and a raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which important systemic complication is particularly associated with prolonged chronic inflammation?
Question Stem
Select the single best answer.
Options
A
Disseminated intravascular coagulation
B
Secondary amyloidosis
C
Acute tubular necrosis
D
Polycythaemia
E
Haemolytic anaemia
Explanation
Chronic inflammation may produce systemic manifestations including mild fever, anaemia, leucocytosis and a raised ESR. In long-standing cases, secondary amyloidosis is an important recognised complication.
Option Validity
A) Disseminated intravascular coagulation is not the characteristic long-term systemic complication of chronic inflammation.
C) Acute tubular necrosis can occur as an organ consequence of shock rather than as a characteristic systemic sequel of prolonged chronic inflammation.
D) Chronic inflammation is associated with anaemia rather than polycythaemia in this context.
E) Anaemia may accompany chronic inflammation, but haemolytic anaemia is not its characteristic long-term systemic complication.
Further Reading
Saxena R. Textbook for MRCOG-1. Chapter 5: Pathology. General Pathology, pp.161–175.