Pathology Assignment: Reproductive & Nervous Systems

This assignment, prepared for a mortuary science course, focuses on differentiating terms and diseases within the reproductive and nervous systems. It covers a wide range of conditions, including meningitis, encephalitis, convulsions, seizures, myelitis, hydrocephalus, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and more. The assignment also explores diseases like Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, Alzheimer’s disease, endometritis, endocervicitis, vaginitis, and oophoritis related to the reproductive system. Additionally, it delves into conditions such as eclampsia, ectopic pregnancy, dermoid cysts, cervical cancer, orchitis, prostatitis, cryptorchism, and hydrocele. The assignment further examines carcinomas of the prostate and testicles, osteoporosis, osteomyelitis, osteomalacia, rickets, bursitis, arthritis, scoliosis, achondroplasia, Paget’s disease, osteosarcoma, diabetes mellitus, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, acromegaly, gigantism, hypothyroidism, myxedema, Addison’s disease, Cushing’s disease, hyperglycemia, glycosuria, Grave’s disease, goitre, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease. Each term is explained with concise definitions and distinctions, supported by relevant references.

Running head: PATHOLOGY FOR MORTUARY SCIENCE
Pathology for mortuary science
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1PATHOLOGY FOR MORTUARY SCIENCE
The following assignment will focus on the differentiating terms that are used to describe
terms and disease differences in reproductive and nervous systems.
The inflammation of linings that cover brain and spinal cord (meninges) and the
membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord is meningitis whereas encephalitis is the
inflammation of the brain.
Convulsion is a condition where there is rapid contraction and relaxation of body
muscles rapidly and repeatedly that results in uncontrolled body shaking, whereas, seizure is a
temporary and brief disturbance in the electrical brain activity.
Myelitis is the inflammation of spinal cord whereas hydrocephalus is the medical
condition where there is accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain causing increased
pressure in brain (Lundy-Ekman, 2013).
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that is characterized by increased susceptibility to
unprovoked or repeated seizures due to brain injuries. This results in increase abnormal nerve
activity within brain. On a contrary, cerebral palsy is a permanent movement disorder that
affects children during early childhood causing poor coordination, weak and stiff muscles and
tremors.
Concussion is considered a traumatic brain injury that affects brain functioning caused
by a blow to head that affect memory, coordination and balance causing problems with
concentration and headache. Contusion or bruise is caused when blood vessels are broken or
damaged because of hitting or bumping into something hard causing blow to the skin.

2PATHOLOGY FOR MORTUARY SCIENCE
Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) is a fatal brain disorder, degenerative in nature caused
by protein, prion causing memory problems, poor coordination, behavioural changes and visual
disturbances. As the disease progresses, mental deterioration and involuntary movements takes
place. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that destroys important mental functioning
like memory, problem-solving and decision-making capability, and difficulty in space and time
(Rusznyák, Földi & Szabó, 2013).
Endometritis is the inflammation of inner uterus layer, endometrium that causes
abdominal swelling, vaginal bleeding and discharge. On a contrary, endocervicitis is the
inflammation of uterine cervix cause by sexually transmitted disease or vaginal infection like
chlamydia, gonorrhea or genital herpes.
Vaginitis is a condition where inflammation of vagina occurs causing vaginal pain,
itching, discomfort, odor and discharge. There is reduction in estrogen levels after menopause
that result in this medical condition whereas oophoritis is the inflammation of ovary developed
as a response to infection. It is caused by bacterial infection and sexually transmitted disease like
gonorrhea and Chlamydia (Rizzo, 2015).
Eclampsia is a condition where convulsions occur in pregnant women with pre-
eclampsia. This condition is potentially dangerous and causes pregnancy complications where
there is high blood pressure or high protein in urine causing swelling of feet and hands. Ectopic
pregnancy is also a complication where fertilized egg attached itself to places other than uterus.
These pregnancies occur in fallopian tube where the embryo gets attached outside uterus causing
vaginal bleeding and abdominal pain.

3PATHOLOGY FOR MORTUARY SCIENCE
Dermoid cyst is called teratoma or abnormal growth that contains epidermis, sebaceous
glands and hair follicles that are derived from residual embryonic cells. It is a sack-like growth
present at birth that grows slowly and stays tender unless ruptures. It commonly occurs on face,
inside skull, ovaries and on lower back. Cervical cancer arises from cervix where abnormal
growth of cells takes place caused by Human papillomavirus infection (HPV) in more than 90%
of cases. (Australia, 2016)
Orchitis is a medical condition where there is inflammation of one or both testicles
caused by bacteria infection or mumps. On a contrary, prostatitis is inflammation and swelling of
walnut-sized prostate gland in men that is present below the bladder.
Cryptorchism is a developmental defect that is characterized by undescended testicles or
failure of testes to descend into the scrotum. On a contrary, hydrocele is a medical condition
where swelling occurs in scrotum because of fluid collection in the thin sheath that surrounds a
testicle (Creasy & Chapin, 2013).
Carcinoma of the prostate gland is the cancer of the prostate gland present in male
reproductive system whereas testicular carcinoma is the cancer that occurs in male organs that
make sperm and male hormones.
Osteoporosis is a medical condition where there is decrease in bone density and bone
formation stops affecting strength and structure of bones making it prone to fractures. On a
contrary, osteomyelitis is bone infection (bacterial or fungal) that is a rare condition marked by
pain in specific regions of bone with fever, redness and weakness.

4PATHOLOGY FOR MORTUARY SCIENCE
Osteomalacia is caused due to deficiency in calcium or vitamin D resulting in softening
of bones whereas rickets is childhood bone disorder that make bones soften and prone to
deformity and fractures.
Bursitis is considered a painful condition affecting bursae, small and fluid-filled sacs.
This structure cushions bones, muscles and tendons near the joints and its inflammation of
bursae results in this condition. Arthritis occurs when cartilage (cushioning and slick surface)
wears away and as a result, there is severe pain due to rubbing of bone against each other,
stiffness and swelling (Lee & Bae, 2016).
Scoliosis is a medical condition where there is sideways spine curvature occurring during
growth spurt just before puberty whereas achondroplasia is a genetic condition that leads to
dwarfism. The legs and arms remain short while torso length is normal.
Paget’s disease also known as osteitis deformans disrupts the mechanism of replacement
of old bone tissue with new one interfering with normal recycling process of the body.
Osteosarcoma is the cancer that starts in cells that perform function in formation of bones.
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder where there are high blood glucose levels over
long periods marked by increased thirst and hunger and frequent urination. Nephrogenic
diabetes insipidus occurs because of defect in tubules of kidney that causes reabsorption or
excretion of water (Bockenhauer & Bichet, 2015).
Acromegaly is caused due to overproduction of growth hormone in pituitary gland
marked by benign tumor called adenoma producing excessive amount of hormone and
compressing surrounding brain tissues as it grow larger. Gigantism is a condition that is marked
by excessive growth and gain height above average caused by hormonal imbalance.

5PATHOLOGY FOR MORTUARY SCIENCE
Hypothyroidism is a condition called low or underactive thyroid, endocrine system
disorder where the gland does not produce enough hormone marked by constipation, tiredness
and weight gain. Myxedema is a synonym for severe and advanced hypothyroidism condition
that remains undiagnosed or untreated.
Addison’s disease is caused when adrenal glands produce insufficient aldosterone levels
or too little cortisol marked by weight loss, weakness and abdominal pain. In Cushing’s disease,
there is too much release of ACTH from pituitary gland stimulating cortisol production and
release, stress hormone.
Hyperglycemia occurs when glucose levels in blood is elevated above 200 mg/dL that
slowly develop symptoms like increased thirst, headache, blurred vision, fatigue and weight loss.
On a contrary, glycosuria is marked by excess of glucose in urine because of diabetes or disease
of kidney.
Grave’s disease is called thyroid storm marked by severe hyperthyroidism left
undiagnosed, untreated or inadequate treatment, a life-threatening complication. Goitre is the
swelling of neck that results from enlargement of thyroid gland.
Multiple sclerosis is a disabling or demyelinating disease of CNS (brain and spinal cord)
where insulating covering of nerve cells are damaged in brain and spinal cord. Parkinson’s
disease is a neurogenerative disorder that results in progressive motor function deterioration and
peculiar gait because of loss of dopamine-producing brain cells (Stam, 2014).
Therefore, the above assignment helped to gain an insight into differentiating terms used
in reproductive and nervous systems.

6PATHOLOGY FOR MORTUARY SCIENCE
References
Australia, H. (2016). Female reproductive system.
Bockenhauer, D., & Bichet, D. G. (2015). Pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of
nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Nature Reviews Nephrology, 11(10), 576.
Creasy, D. M., & Chapin, R. E. (2013). Male reproductive system. In Haschek and Rousseaux's
Handbook of Toxicologic Pathology (Third Edition) (pp. 2493-2598).
Lee, Y. H., & Bae, S. C. (2016). Vitamin D level in rheumatoid arthritis and its correlation with
the disease activity: a meta-analysis. Clin Exp Rheumatol, 34(5), 827-833.
Lundy-Ekman, L. (2013). Neuroscience-E-Book: Fundamentals for Rehabilitation. Elsevier
Health Sciences.
Rizzo, D. C. (2015). Fundamentals of anatomy and physiology. Cengage Learning.
Rusznyák, I., Földi, M., & Szabó, G. (2013). Lymphatics and lymph circulation: physiology and
pathology. Elsevier.
Stam, C. J. (2014). Modern network science of neurological disorders. Nature Reviews
Neuroscience, 15(10), 683.