Question

a.How does severe hepatic disease such as liver cirrhosis, contributes to the development of oedema?

b. Describe all the likely sequelae following thrombus formation

c. . A patient develops a localized bruise and it changes colour over a few days. State the three colour changes that can occur and the pigments that are responsible for each change.

Answer 1

a.

Liver Cirrhosis slows down the normal flow of blood through the liver, which leads to an increased pressure in the veins that brings blood to the liver from spleen and the intestines. It causes swelling in the legs and abdomen. Further, the increase in the pressure of the portal vein causes the fluid to accumulate in the legs which are said to be oedema and in the abdomen which is said to be ascites.

b.

Thrombus formation occurs when the blood clots block the veins and the arteries within the blood vessel. It prevents the normal flowing of the blood through the circulatory system.

Thrombus formation involves the 3 basic steps, which include vascular spasm, the formation of a platelet plug and the blood clotting and coagulation.

There may be swelling and pain in one leg. Chest pain may also occur, followed by the numbness on one side of the body. The thrombosis complications can be life-threatening which may include heart attack and strokes.

c.

The three colour change with can occur may include the following:

1. Melanocytes produces a pigment known as melanin. The melanin pigment is brown but deep patches may look green, grey and blue.

2.The pigment biliverdin which is green in colour gets converted to bilirubin which turns into yellow or light brown.

3. At first the bruises may be red in colour but the haemoglobin in the blood changes the colour of bruises into bluish purple or blackish.