Welcome to Pathology Student!
My name is Kristine Krafts, MD, and I love teaching pathology.
If you’re looking for straightforward answers to your pathology questions,
you’ve come to the right place!
How do steroids inhibit the immune response?
Q. We heard in class today that steroids are used for autoimmune diseases, and I've heard this before but never understood why. What is it about steroids that make them effective as immunosuppressants? A. There are lots of mechanisms by which steroids dampen the...
ET and DIC
Q. I was reading over some of your blog posts (which are awesome) and I came across the one where you stated that "Essential thrombocythemia is not considered a cause of disseminated intravascular coagulation." And later you write that "patients with essential...
New nom noms
I've started a couple new features and wanted you to be the first to know! Now there are two opportunities to get yummy pathology content delivered fresh, right to your email inbox. There are two separate email lists: 1. Pathology Student blog posts. If you would like...
Why does the GFR go down in nephritic syndrome?
Q. I have a question. Why do you see a decreased glomerular filtration rate in nephritic syndrome? I read on your blog and other places that it's due to "hemodynamic changes"-- from Robbins I'm assuming this is compensatory stuff- but wouldn't that increase GFR? A....
Are HUS and TTP related?
Q. Is there a relationship between hemolytic-uremic syndrome and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura? I see them lumped together a lot. Also, what does it mean to treat an HUS patient supportively? A. Yes, there is a relationship between HUS and TTP. In both...
DDAVP and von Willebrand disease
Q. I'm confused about DDAVP. Why do you use it in von Willebrand disease? I read that it raises VIII and VWF, but that doesn't really make sense since the factor VIII is already there, there is no need to make more of it? Right? The issue isn't lack of factor VIII but...
Runner’s anemia
Q. I've heard a lot about iron-deficiency anemia being quite common in long distance runners. Why is this? I heard that it had something to do with the constant pounding on pavement, but I had no idea whether this was true or not. If a runner is somewhat anemic,...
Starry-sky pattern
There are a few terms in pathology that should automatically make you think of specific diseases. In hematopathology, "cerebriform lymphocyte" should make you think of Sezary syndrome/mycosis fungoides; "hypersegmented neutrophil" should bring to mind megaloblastic...
How do you identify all those neutrophil precursors?
Q. I'm having a hard time identifying some hematopoietic cells on smears. I have no trouble with the mature PMNs, bands, and metas, but once I get past that, it gets rather difficult. On some slides, if you don't know the diagnosis, it can be so difficult to determine...