Clinical Pathology MCQs
1. Animals suffering from anemia have
a. Decreased No. of RBCs, PCV and Hb. Conc. then healthy animals
b. Only high No. of reticulocytes count
c. Only decreased No. of RBCs then healthy animals.
d. Only high No. of Polychromatophilic count
Correct Answer: a. Decreased No. of RBCs, PCV and Hb. Conc. then healthy animals
Explanation: Anemia is defined by a reduction below normal limits of the total number of erythrocytes, the packed cell volume (PCV), and/or the hemoglobin (Hb) concentration in the blood.
2. High no. basophilic stippling bodies are seen in
a. Lead poisoning in animals.
b. Copper poisoning in animals.
c. Mercury poisoning in animals.
d. Mylobdenium poisoning in animals
Correct Answer: a. Lead poisoning in animals.
Explanation: While basophilic stippling can be seen in regenerative anemias (especially in ruminants), a high number of stippled RBCs in the absence of severe anemia is a classic diagnostic hallmark of lead poisoning.
3. Red colour urine is observed in
a. Hematuria
b. Phenothiazine toxicity
c. Both a & b
d. None
Correct Answer: c. Both a & b
Explanation: Hematuria (intact RBCs in urine) causes a red/pink discoloration. Additionally, certain drugs like Phenothiazine (an anthelmintic) are metabolized into red-colored compounds that are excreted in the urine.
4. Morphology of anemia in chronic infections
a. Normocytic normochromic anemia
b. Microcytic normochromic anemia
c. Macrocytic normochromic anemia
d. Macrocytic hyperchromic anemia
Correct Answer: a. Normocytic normochromic anemia
Explanation: Anemia of inflammatory disease (associated with chronic infections) is typically normocytic (normal size) and normochromic (normal color), characterized by the sequestration of iron away from erythropoiesis.
5. Protein deficiency leads to
a. Normochromic anemia
b. Microcytic anemia
c. Hyperchromic anemia
d. Hypochromic anemia
Correct Answer: a. Normochromic anemia
Explanation: Protein deficiency limits the production of the globin portion of hemoglobin and the erythropoietin hormone, generally resulting in a normocytic normochromic (or occasionally microcytic hypochromic) anemia due to decreased overall RBC production.
6. Reduced activity of bone marrow leads to
a. Dec. in RBCs, TLC and thrombocytes.
b. Only dec. in TLC
c. Only dec. in plasma proteins
d. Increased no. of RBCs
Correct Answer: a. Dec. in RBCs, TLC and thrombocytes.
Explanation: Reduced bone marrow activity (aplastic anemia or marrow depression) leads to pancytopenia, which is a simultaneous decrease in RBCs, Total Leukocyte Count (TLC), and thrombocytes (platelets).
7. Increased bilirubin conc. in blood is seen in
a. Hepatocellular damage
b. Bile duct obstruction.
c. Bone marrow depression
d. Excessive hemolysis
Correct Answer: d. Excessive hemolysis
Explanation: While (a) and (b) cause conjugated hyperbilirubinemia, excessive hemolysis (pre-hepatic jaundice) floods the system with unconjugated bilirubin, significantly increasing the total bilirubin concentration in the blood.
8. Fatty casts are seen in urine of animals suffering from
a. Diabetes mellitus.
b. Milk fever
c. Hepatitis
d. Septicemia
Correct Answer: a. Diabetes mellitus.
Explanation: Fatty casts form when renal tubular epithelial cells containing lipid (common in nephrotic syndrome or Diabetes mellitus) incorporate into urinary casts.
9. Increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate is indicative of
a. Malignancy
b. Nephritis
c. Tuberculosis
d. All of above
Correct Answer: d. All of above
Explanation: The ESR is a non-specific marker of inflammation. It increases when plasma proteins (like fibrinogen) cause RBCs to clump (rouleaux). This occurs in malignancy, chronic infections (Tuberculosis), and inflammatory conditions (Nephritis).
10. Mechanisms of neutropenia include:
a. Increased demand or consumption in tissues
b. Decreased marrow production
c. Increased movement from the circulating neutrophil pool to the marginal neutrophil pool
d. All of the above
Correct Answer: d. All of the above
Explanation: Neutropenia (low neutrophils) can occur through reduced production in the marrow, overwhelming consumption during severe infection, or sequestration (shifting from the circulating to the marginal pool).
11. The precursors of macrophages are:
a. Eosinophils.
b. Basophils.
c. Monocytes
d. Anisocytes
Correct Answer: c. Monocytes
Explanation: Monocytes are produced in the bone marrow, circulate in the blood, and then migrate into tissues where they differentiate into macrophages.
12. In case of endotoxic, septic or anaphylactic shock, retention of neutrophils in normal reservoirs takes place usually in capillaries of ————– .
a. Lungs
b. Spleen
c. Liver
d. All of the above
Correct Answer: a. Lungs
Explanation: During endotoxic or septic shock, neutrophils often undergo “leukostasis” or sequestration, primarily within the pulmonary (lung) capillaries, contributing to acute lung injury.
13. Skin scrapings are kept in ——- for digestion of debris
a. Formalin
b. Ethanol
c. Potassium hydroxide
d. Potassium chloride
Correct Answer: c. Potassium hydroxide
Explanation: Potassium hydroxide (KOH) (usually 10%) is used to dissolve keratin and other cellular debris in skin scrapings, making it easier to visualize mites or fungal elements under a microscope.
14. Anisocytosis is
a. Variation in size of erythrocytes
b. Seen in anemia
c. Bone marrow depression anemia
d. Variation in shape of erythrocytes
Correct Answer: a. Variation in size of erythrocytes
Explanation: Anisocytosis refers specifically to a variation in the size of red blood cells. Poikilocytosis refers to variation in shape.
15. Slides stained with immunoperoxidase techniques are visualized in microscope
a. Ordinary
b. Fluorescent
c. Dark Field
d. Phase contrast
Correct Answer: a. Ordinary
Explanation: Unlike immunofluorescence (which requires a fluorescent microscope), immunoperoxidase techniques use an enzyme that creates a colored precipitate (usually brown), which can be seen using a standard ordinary (light) microscope.
16. Galactose tolerance test is
a. Inferior to BSP test in detection of liver damage.
b. Is a lipid metabolism test.
c. Used for detection of liver damage
d. Used for detection of pancreas damage
Correct Answer: c. Used for detection of liver damage
Explanation: The Galactose tolerance test evaluates the liver’s ability to convert galactose to glucose; it is a functional test used for detection of liver damage.
17. Type of anemia in CIN
a. Normocytic normochromic
b. Normocytic hypochromic
c. Microcytic normochromic
d. Macrocytic Normochromic
Correct Answer: a. Normocytic normochromic
Explanation: Chronic Interstitial Nephritis (CIN) leads to a lack of erythropoietin production by the kidneys, resulting in a normocytic normochromic non-regenerative anemia.
18. M/E ratio is increased in
a. Infection, leukemia and hypoplasia of erythroid cells.
b. Polycythemia.
c. Hyperplasia of erythroid cells.
d. All above
Correct Answer: a. Infection, leukemia and hypoplasia of erythroid cells.
Explanation: The Myeloid-to-Erythroid (M/E) ratio increases when there is either an increase in myeloid cells (as in infection or leukemia) or a decrease in erythroid cells (hypoplasia).
19. Glycosuria is observed in
a. Diabetes mellitus
b. Enterotoxemia in sheep
c. High excitement in cats
d. All of above
Correct Answer: d. All of above
Explanation: Glycosuria (glucose in urine) occurs when blood glucose exceeds the renal threshold. This is seen in Diabetes mellitus, Enterotoxemia (due to rapid glycogenolysis), and stress/excitement (especially in cats).
20. Presence of occult blood in feces is indicative of
a. Gastrointestinal bleeding
b. Liver damage
c. Pancreatic insufficiency
d. High protein diet
Correct Answer: a. Gastrointestinal bleeding
Explanation: Occult blood refers to blood that is not visible to the naked eye. Its presence in feces is a primary indicator of gastrointestinal bleeding from ulcers, parasites, or tumors.