What Are the Fundamental Pathological Changes of Inflammation?
The basic pathological changes of inflammation are divided into alteration, exudation, and hyperplasia. Inflammation is commonly referred to as inflammation, and its conventional manifestations are redness, swelling, heat, and pain. Inflammation can be caused by both infectious and non-infectious factors. According to its duration, it can be further divided into acute and chronic. After the body develops inflammation, it is necessary to go to the hospital for a blood test to identify the cause and treat it accordingly.
The basic pathological changes of inflammation include alteration, which refers to the degeneration and necrosis of local tissues in inflammation, which is relatively common. The second is exudation, which refers to the exudation of fluid and cell components within local vascular tissues of inflammation through the blood vessel wall into the tissue spaces, body surface, or mucosal surface. The exuded fluid and cell components protect the body, and exudation is also the most basic pathological change of inflammation. Finally, hyperplasia refers to the proliferation of tissue cells, other cells, and epithelial and parenchymal cells around the inflammation due to the stimulation of inflammatory factors. Hyperplasia can prevent the spread of inflammation, protect the body, and also play a role in the repair of inflammation. Alteration, exudation, and hyperplasia are the three most basic pathological changes of inflammation.
1. Redness: It is caused by congestion in the inflammatory lesion. In the early stage of inflammation, due to arterial congestion, the local oxygenated hemoglobin increases, so it appears bright red. As the inflammation develops, blood flow slows down, congestion and stagnation occur, and the local tissue contains more reduced hemoglobin, so it appears dark red.
2. Swelling: It is mainly caused by exudates, especially inflammatory edema. In chronic inflammation, the proliferation of tissues and cells can also cause local swelling.
3. Heat: Heat is caused by arterial congestion and enhanced metabolism. Leukocyte-derived interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and prostaglandin E (PGE) can all cause fever.
4. Dysfunction: Functional disorders of the inflamed organ may be caused by the degeneration, necrosis, and abnormal metabolic functions of parenchymal cells within the inflammatory lesion, as well as mechanical obstruction and compression caused by inflammatory exudates. Pain can also affect the motor function of limbs.