Parenchymal Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.
These are the MediaLab courses that cover Parenchymal and links to relevant pages within the course.
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| Identify the urine sediment elements present in this illustration: | View Page |
| Altered Iron Absorption Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is a genetic disorder characterized by iron overload as a result of increased iron absorption. As iron absorption increases, the amount of iron bound to transferrin and transported in the plasma subsequently increases.With no available mechanism for excreting excess absorbed iron, normal iron storage sites become overloaded, resulting in ferritin levels that far exceed normal. As a result, iron is deposited in the parenchymal cells of the liver, pancreas, pituitary, heart, synovium, and other tissues with high concentrations of transferrin receptors. Iron in excess of normal cellular ferritin stores contributes to the generation of free radicals and reactive oxygen intermediates that cause cell damage to organs and tissues. This process results in the clinical condition known as iron overload, a hallmark feature of HH. | View Page |
| Definitive Tests for Iron Overload Measuring the amount of iron deposited in the liver is considered definitive for iron overload. This may be done by liver biopsy, computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Demonstrating iron in parenchymal liver cells helps determine disease severity. Liver sections obtained by biopsy are stained with Perls Prussian blue which stains iron present in parenchymal cells. A photomicrograph of this reaction is shown.Although liver biopsy may not be necessary for diagnosing hereditary hemochromatosis (HH), it offers the advantage of detecting liver fibrosis if present. Molecular tests for mutations associated with HH are considered the gold standard of current HH testing. Liver biopsy is not needed for diagnosing all patients suspected of having HH, but may be ordered in some cases. | View Page |