Clinical veterinary pathology encompasses the study and diagnosis of diseases in animals through laboratory analysis of bodily fluids, tissues, and other specimens, involving disciplines like hematology, clinical biochemistry, cytology, urinalysis, and more. glossary of key terms commonly used in clinical veterinary pathology, organized alphabetically from A to Z. Each term will include a brief definition relevant to the field.
A
- Absolute count: The actual number of a specific cell type (e.g., neutrophils) per unit volume in a CBC, calculated from differential percentages.
- Acid-base balance: Regulation of blood pH, assessed via blood gas analysis to diagnose acidosis or alkalosis.
- Acidosis: Decreased blood pH due to metabolic or respiratory causes, detected via blood gas analysis.
- Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT): Coagulation test assessing intrinsic pathway clotting, used for bleeding disorder diagnosis.
- Acute-phase proteins: Proteins (e.g., C-reactive protein, haptoglobin) increasing in serum during inflammation, measured to assess systemic response.
- Alanine aminotransferase (ALT): Serum enzyme elevated in liver damage, particularly in small animals.
- Albumin: Major serum protein, measured to evaluate liver function, nutrition, or protein-losing disorders.
- Alkaline phosphatase (ALP): Enzyme in serum, elevated in liver, bone, or endocrine disorders.
- Alkalosis: Increased blood pH, detected via blood gas analysis.
- Anemia: Reduced red blood cell count or hemoglobin, classified as regenerative or non-regenerative.
- Anisocytosis: Variation in red blood cell size, observed on blood smears, indicating abnormal erythropoiesis.
- Antibody: Immune protein in serum, measured via serology to diagnose infectious or autoimmune diseases.
- Antigen: Substance triggering immune response, detected in serologic or PCR tests for pathogens.
- Aspartate aminotransferase (AST): Enzyme in serum, elevated in liver or muscle injury.
- Aspiration cytology: Examination of cells from fine needle aspiration (FNA) to diagnose masses or lesions.
- Azotemia: Elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) or creatinine, indicating renal dysfunction or dehydration.
B
- Band neutrophil: Immature neutrophil, increased in blood during acute inflammation or infection.
- Basophil: White blood cell involved in allergic or parasitic responses, rare in peripheral blood.
- Bile acids: Serum compounds elevated in hepatobiliary disease, used to assess liver function.
- Bilirubin: Serum pigment, elevated in hemolysis or liver disease, causing jaundice.
- Blood gas analysis: Measurement of pH, oxygen, and carbon dioxide in blood to assess acid-base and respiratory status.
- Blood smear: Stained blood film examined microscopically for cell morphology and abnormalities.
- Bone marrow aspiration: Sampling of bone marrow to evaluate hematopoiesis or diagnose leukemia.
C
- Calcium: Serum electrolyte, measured to assess metabolic, parathyroid, or bone disorders.
- Cell block: Cytologic preparation embedding cells in paraffin for histologic-like analysis.
- Complete blood count (CBC): Test measuring red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and indices (e.g., MCV, MCH, MCHC) to diagnose anemia, infection, or hematologic disease.
- Clinical biochemistry: Analysis of blood or fluid components (e.g., enzymes, electrolytes) for organ function assessment.
- Coagulation profile: Tests (e.g., PT, APTT, fibrinogen) evaluating blood clotting ability.
- Creatine kinase (CK): Enzyme in serum, elevated in muscle injury or disease.
- Creatinine: Serum waste product, elevated in renal disease or muscle injury.
- C-reactive protein (CRP): Acute-phase protein, elevated in inflammation, used in some species (e.g., dogs).
- Cytology: Microscopic examination of cells from fluids or tissues to diagnose disease (e.g., cancer, infection).
D
- Differential count: CBC component quantifying percentages of white blood cell types (e.g., neutrophils, lymphocytes).
- Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC): Disorder causing abnormal clotting and bleeding, diagnosed via coagulation tests and D-dimer levels.
- Dysproteinemia: Abnormal serum protein levels, detected via protein electrophoresis.
E
- Electrolytes: Ions (e.g., sodium, potassium, chloride) in serum, assessed for hydration or organ function.
- Eosinophil: White blood cell increased in allergic or parasitic conditions.
- Erythrocyte: Red blood cell, evaluated in CBC for count, hemoglobin, and morphology.
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR): Test measuring red blood cell settling, indicating inflammation.
- Exfoliative cytology: Analysis of cells shed from surfaces (e.g., skin, mucosa) for diagnosis.
- Exudate: High-protein, high-cell fluid from inflammation, analyzed in fluid analysis.
F
- Fibrinogen: Plasma protein involved in clotting, elevated in inflammation, measured in coagulation studies.
- Fine needle aspiration (FNA): Minimally invasive cell collection from tissues or masses for cytology.
- Fluid analysis: Examination of body fluids (e.g., pleural, peritoneal) for cells, protein, or pathogens.
- Fructosamine: Serum marker reflecting average blood glucose over weeks, used in diabetes monitoring.
G
- Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT): Serum enzyme, elevated in liver or biliary disease, especially in large animals.
- Globulin: Serum protein group, increased in chronic inflammation or immune-mediated disease.
- Glucose: Blood sugar, measured to diagnose diabetes, stress, or metabolic disorders.
H
- Haptoglobin: Acute-phase protein, decreased in hemolysis, increased in inflammation.
- Hematocrit: Percentage of blood volume occupied by red blood cells, used to diagnose anemia or dehydration.
- Hematology: Study of blood cells and disorders, including CBC and bone marrow analysis.
- Hemoglobin: Oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells, measured in CBC.
- Hemolysis: Red blood cell destruction, causing anemia and elevated bilirubin, detected in serum or blood smears.
- Hemostasis: Blood clotting process, assessed via coagulation tests (e.g., PT, APTT).
- Howell-Jolly body: Red blood cell inclusion indicating impaired splenic function or regenerative anemia.
- Hyperlipidemia: Elevated blood lipids, detected in serum, associated with metabolic or endocrine disorders.
I
- Immunocytochemistry: Antibody-based detection of antigens in cytologic samples for tumor or infection diagnosis.
- Infectious disease panel: Serologic or PCR tests to detect pathogens (e.g., parvovirus, FeLV).
- Inflammation: Tissue response to injury or infection, assessed via CBC, cytology, or acute-phase proteins.
J
- Jaundice: Yellowing of tissues due to elevated bilirubin, detected in serum or clinical exam.
K
- Ketonemia: Elevated blood ketones, associated with diabetes or starvation.
- Ketonuria: Ketones in urine, indicating metabolic disorders like diabetic ketoacidosis.
L
- Leukemia: Cancer of white blood cells, diagnosed via CBC, blood smear, or bone marrow analysis.
- Leukocytosis: Increased white blood cell count, seen in infection, inflammation, or leukemia.
- Leukopenia: Decreased white blood cell count, associated with viral infections or bone marrow suppression.
- Lipemia: Increased serum lipids, causing turbidity and potential test interference.
- Lymphocyte: White blood cell involved in immune responses, assessed in CBC.
M
- Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH): Average hemoglobin per red blood cell, part of CBC.
- Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC): Hemoglobin concentration in red blood cells, used to classify anemia.
- Mean corpuscular volume (MCV): Average red blood cell size, used to classify anemia.
- Monocyte: White blood cell involved in chronic inflammation, counted in CBC.
- Myelogram: Bone marrow smear examined for hematopoiesis or malignancy.
N
- Necrosis: Cell or tissue death, identified in cytology or histopathology.
- Neutrophil: Primary white blood cell in acute inflammation, quantified in CBC.
- Nucleated red blood cell (nRBC): Immature red blood cell in peripheral blood, indicating regenerative anemia or bone marrow dysfunction.
O
- Osmolality: Solute concentration in blood or urine, assessing hydration or renal function.
- Oxyhemoglobin: Hemoglobin bound to oxygen, measured in blood gas analysis.
P
- Packed cell volume (PCV): Synonym for hematocrit, measuring red blood cell volume.
- Plasma: Liquid portion of unclotted blood, used for biochemical or coagulation tests.
- Platelet: Cell fragment involved in clotting, counted in CBC to diagnose thrombocytopenia or thrombocytosis.
- Poikilocytosis: Variation in red blood cell shape, observed on blood smears, indicating pathology.
- Polycythemia: Increased red blood cell count, seen in dehydration or bone marrow disorders.
- Protein electrophoresis: Technique separating serum proteins to diagnose dysproteinemias.
- Prothrombin time (PT): Coagulation test measuring extrinsic pathway clotting time.
Q
- Quality assurance (QA): Practices ensuring accurate laboratory results.
- Quality control (QC): Procedures validating laboratory instrument performance.
R
- Red blood cell (RBC): Oxygen-carrying cell, counted in CBC to diagnose anemia or polycythemia.
- Reference interval: Species-specific normal range for lab test results.
- Reticulocyte: Immature red blood cell, counted to assess regenerative anemia.
- Rouleaux: Stacked red blood cells on smears, seen in hyperproteinemia or inflammation.
S
- Serum: Liquid portion of clotted blood, used for biochemical analysis (e.g., electrolytes, enzymes).
- Serology: Testing for antibodies or antigens in serum to diagnose infectious diseases.
- Specific gravity: Urine concentration measure, part of urinalysis, indicating renal function.
- Synovial fluid analysis: Examination of joint fluid for cells or crystals to diagnose arthritis.
T
- Thrombocytopenia: Decreased platelet count, causing bleeding tendencies.
- Thrombocytosis: Increased platelet count, seen in inflammation or myeloproliferative disorders.
- Total protein: Sum of albumin and globulin in serum, indicating liver or immune status.
- Toxic change: Neutrophil morphologic changes (e.g., Dohle bodies, toxic granulation) indicating severe inflammation or infection.
- Transudate: Low-protein fluid from blood vessels, seen in hypoproteinemia, analyzed in fluid analysis.
U
- Urea nitrogen (BUN): Serum waste product, measured to assess kidney function or dehydration.
- Urinalysis: Analysis of urine for physical, chemical, and microscopic properties to diagnose renal or metabolic disease.
- Urinary casts: Cylindrical structures in urine sediment, indicating renal tubular damage or disease.
V
- Viscosity: Blood thickness, affected by protein or cell concentration, relevant in hyperproteinemia.
- Vitamin D: Serum marker for bone or metabolic health.
W
- White blood cell (WBC): Immune cells, counted and differentiated in CBC to diagnose infection or leukemia.
X
- Xenobiotic: Foreign chemical or toxin, analyzed in toxicology for pathological effects.
Y
- Yellow jaundice: Synonym for jaundice, due to bilirubin accumulation.
Z
- Zoonosis: Disease transmissible from animals to humans, diagnosed via serology or PCR.
