Free Veterinary Pathology MCQs with Answers

60 Veterinary Pathology MCQs from Veterinary Science, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.

Covers the causes and mechanisms of disease, cellular injury, inflammation, healing, circulatory disturbances, neoplasia and disorders of major organs. It also includes gross and microscopic pathological changes, specimen interpretation and the distinction between aetiology, pathogenesis, clinical signs and lesions.

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60 questions · page 3 of 3

  • A. Immune mediated vasculitis
  • B. Chronic bacterial abscesses
  • C. Ischemic brain injury
  • D. Fat necrosis of the pancreas

Explanation: Fibrinoid necrosis occurs when immune complexes and plasma proteins damage vascular walls, producing a bright eosinophilic appearance.

Correct answer: Immune mediated vasculitis
  • A. Hepatic icterus
  • B. Prehepatic icterus
  • C. Posthepatic icterus
  • D. Mixed icterus

Explanation: Prehepatic icterus results from excessive red cell destruction, which produces more bilirubin than the liver can immediately process.

Correct answer: Prehepatic icterus
  • A. Nuclear transcription system
  • B. Lysosomal digestive system
  • C. Sodium and potassium pump
  • D. Collagen synthesis pathway

Explanation: Failure of the ATP dependent sodium and potassium pump causes sodium and water to accumulate inside the cell.

Correct answer: Sodium and potassium pump
  • A. Antibody mediated tissue injury
  • B. Persistent blood circulation
  • C. Excessive collagen formation
  • D. Endogenous enzymatic digestion

Explanation: Autolysis is the self digestion of cells by enzymes released from their own lysosomes after death.

Correct answer: Endogenous enzymatic digestion
  • A. Antibodies against specific antigens
  • B. Acid fast dyes against bacterial walls
  • C. Enzymes that dissolve collagen
  • D. Electrolytes that precipitate calcium

Explanation: Immunohistochemistry uses labelled antibodies that bind selected antigens in cells or tissues.

Correct answer: Antibodies against specific antigens
  • A. Reduced total bone mass
  • B. Defective mineralization of osteoid
  • C. Excessive formation of dense bone
  • D. Fibrous replacement of bone tissue

Explanation: Osteomalacia is defective mineralization of newly formed osteoid in mature bone.

Correct answer: Defective mineralization of osteoid
  • A. Persistent ketonuria
  • B. Severe bilirubinuria
  • C. Marked proteinuria
  • D. Profound hypoglycemia

Explanation: Glomerular amyloid disrupts the filtration barrier and commonly produces heavy protein loss in urine.

Correct answer: Marked proteinuria
  • A. Canine mast cell tumor
  • B. Canine multicentric lymphoma
  • C. Canine osteosarcoma
  • D. Canine transmissible venereal tumor

Explanation: Canine transmissible venereal tumor spreads by physical transfer of viable neoplastic cells, usually during sexual contact.

Correct answer: Canine transmissible venereal tumor
  • A. Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis
  • B. Listeria monocytogenes
  • C. Bacillus anthracis
  • D. Salmonella Dublin

Explanation: Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis causes chronic abscesses in lymph nodes and internal organs of sheep and goats, producing caseous…

Correct answer: Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis
  • A. Tips of mature villi
  • B. Crypt epithelium
  • C. Muscularis externa
  • D. Serosal connective tissue

Explanation: Canine parvovirus targets rapidly dividing crypt epithelial cells, causing crypt necrosis and subsequent villous collapse.

Correct answer: Crypt epithelium
  • A. Size of individual parenchymal cells
  • B. Amount of extracellular fluid
  • C. Number of cells within a tissue
  • D. Volume of intracellular fat

Explanation: Hyperplasia results from increased cell division, producing more cells in a tissue.

Correct answer: Number of cells within a tissue
  • A. Masson's trichrome
  • B. Oil Red O
  • C. Prussian blue
  • D. Toluidine blue

Explanation: Toluidine blue stains mast cell granules metachromatically because of their sulfated glycosaminoglycans.

Correct answer: Toluidine blue
  • A. Grocott methenamine silver
  • B. Ziehl-Neelsen stain
  • C. Wright-Giemsa stain
  • D. Alcian blue stain

Explanation: Grocott methenamine silver strongly outlines fungal walls and makes hyphae readily visible.

Correct answer: Grocott methenamine silver
  • A. Ecchymosis
  • B. Petechia
  • C. Hematoma
  • D. Suffusion

Explanation: Petechiae are very small, pinpoint hemorrhages caused by leakage from small vessels.

Correct answer: Petechia
  • A. Thrombus formation without vessel injury
  • B. Smooth muscle hypertrophy without inflammation
  • C. Fibrinoid change with nuclear debris in vessel walls
  • D. Amyloid deposition around arterial nerves

Explanation: Leukocytoclastic vasculitis shows inflammation of small vessels with fragmented leukocyte nuclei, often accompanied by fibrinoid necrosis.

Correct answer: Fibrinoid change with nuclear debris in vessel walls
  • A. A blood clot lodged within a nutrient artery
  • B. A cavity filled with newly formed cartilage
  • C. A benign tumour arising from bone marrow
  • D. A fragment of dead bone separated from living bone

Explanation: A sequestrum is devitalized bone that becomes separated from surrounding viable bone, commonly during chronic osteomyelitis.

Correct answer: A fragment of dead bone separated from living bone
  • A. Pyogranulomatous inflammation with serosal effusion
  • B. Purely suppurative inflammation of the skin
  • C. Diffuse mineralization of skeletal muscle
  • D. Necrotizing inflammation limited to the hoof

Explanation: Feline infectious peritonitis commonly produces pyogranulomatous inflammation and protein-rich effusion in abdominal or thoracic serous…

Correct answer: Pyogranulomatous inflammation with serosal effusion
  • A. A clear watery fluid on an intact serosa
  • B. A fibrinonecrotic membrane attached to mucosal surfaces
  • C. A localized collection of pus in a capsule
  • D. A diffuse increase in tissue blood flow

Explanation: Diphtheritic inflammation causes mucosal necrosis followed by deposition of fibrin, producing a firmly attached fibrinonecrotic membrane.

Correct answer: A fibrinonecrotic membrane attached to mucosal surfaces
  • A. Local supply of adipose tissue
  • B. Entire original population of mature cells
  • C. Underlying basement membrane and stromal framework
  • D. Surrounding layer of skeletal muscle

Explanation: An intact basement membrane and stromal framework guide the migration and organization of surviving epithelial cells during regeneration.

Correct answer: Underlying basement membrane and stromal framework
  • A. Lamellar bone with normal osteocytes
  • B. Mature cartilage without cellular atypia
  • C. Uniform fat cells between bone trabeculae
  • D. Neoplastic cells producing malignant osteoid

Explanation: Malignant osteoid produced directly by atypical neoplastic cells is the defining histological feature of osteosarcoma.

Correct answer: Neoplastic cells producing malignant osteoid