Pathophysiology: The Biologic Basis for
Disease in Adults and Children 9th
Edition Test Bank by Kathryn L.
McCance and Sue E. Huether | HESI
Patho Exit Exam 2026.
*
*1. A patient with chronic hepatitis C develops fibrosis of the liver. This
process is best defined as:**
A. Physiologic hyperplasia
B. Pathologic metaplasia
C. Pathologic hyperplasia
D. Dysplasia
**Answer:** C. Pathologic hyperplasia
**Rationale:** Pathologic hyperplasia is an abnormal increase in cell
division due to a persistent stimulus (like a virus or hormone
imbalance). In hepatitis, this leads to scarring (fibrosis) and increases
the risk for cancer .
**2. A nurse is teaching a patient about hypertrophy. Which patient
statement indicates correct understanding?**
A. "My heart muscle gets thicker to pump against high blood pressure."
,B. "My uterus shrinks because I am no longer pregnant."
C. "The precancerous cells showed abnormal size and shape."
D. "My liver cells increased in number due to alcohol use."
**Answer:** A. "My heart muscle gets thicker to pump against high
blood pressure."
**Rationale:** Hypertrophy is an increase in the *size* of cells, not the
number. This occurs in the heart when it has to work against chronic
pressure overload (e.g., hypertension) . Option B describes atrophy; C
describes dysplasia; D describes hyperplasia.
**3. A pathologist notes that a patient's dead heart muscle cells have
retained their basic structural outline for several days post-infarction.
This type of necrosis is called:**
A. Liquefactive
B. Coagulative
C. Caseous
D. Fat
**Answer:** B. Coagulative
**Rationale:** Coagulative necrosis is characteristic of hypoxic injury
(ischemia) in all solid organs except the brain. The cell structure is
preserved for days because the injury denatures structural proteins .
**4. A patient with Alzheimer's disease is experiencing brain cell death
that is genetically programmed and does not trigger inflammation. This
process is known as:**
,A. Necrosis
B. Autolysis
C. Apoptosis
D. Liquefaction
**Answer:** C. Apoptosis
**Rationale:** Apoptosis is "programmed cell death." It is a highly
regulated, energy-dependent process that removes damaged or old
cells without causing inflammation (unlike necrosis) .
**5. A nurse caring for a patient with chronic gastroesophageal reflux
disease (GERD) understands that the change of the esophageal lining
from squamous to columnar epithelium is an example of:**
A. Dysplasia
B. Hyperplasia
C. Metaplasia
D. Anaplasia
**Answer:** C. Metaplasia
**Rationale:** Metaplasia is the reversible replacement of one
differentiated cell type with another. In GERD, the esophagus changes
from squamous to columnar (Barrett esophagus) to better withstand
the acid exposure .
**6. Which cellular change is considered reversible?**
A. Coagulative necrosis
, B. Fatty change (steatosis)
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Liquefactive necrosis
**Answer:** B. Fatty change (steatosis)
**Rationale:** Fatty change (accumulation of lipids inside cells) is a
sign of sublethal injury. If the injurious agent (e.g., alcohol or toxins) is
removed, the cell can metabolize the fat and return to normal function
.
**7. A biopsy report indicates "loss of cellular differentiation, nuclear
abnormalities, and significant variation in cell size and shape." The
nurse interprets this as:**
A. Atrophy
B. Hypertrophy
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
**Answer:** D. Dysplasia
**Rationale:** Dysplasia literally means "disordered growth." It
features abnormal changes in cell size, shape, and organization. It is
often a precursor to cancer but can sometimes be reversible if the
irritating cause is removed .
**8. A patient's MRI shows that a specific organ has decreased in size
due to a reduction in cell size. This is known as:**
A. Hyperplasia
Disease in Adults and Children 9th
Edition Test Bank by Kathryn L.
McCance and Sue E. Huether | HESI
Patho Exit Exam 2026.
*
*1. A patient with chronic hepatitis C develops fibrosis of the liver. This
process is best defined as:**
A. Physiologic hyperplasia
B. Pathologic metaplasia
C. Pathologic hyperplasia
D. Dysplasia
**Answer:** C. Pathologic hyperplasia
**Rationale:** Pathologic hyperplasia is an abnormal increase in cell
division due to a persistent stimulus (like a virus or hormone
imbalance). In hepatitis, this leads to scarring (fibrosis) and increases
the risk for cancer .
**2. A nurse is teaching a patient about hypertrophy. Which patient
statement indicates correct understanding?**
A. "My heart muscle gets thicker to pump against high blood pressure."
,B. "My uterus shrinks because I am no longer pregnant."
C. "The precancerous cells showed abnormal size and shape."
D. "My liver cells increased in number due to alcohol use."
**Answer:** A. "My heart muscle gets thicker to pump against high
blood pressure."
**Rationale:** Hypertrophy is an increase in the *size* of cells, not the
number. This occurs in the heart when it has to work against chronic
pressure overload (e.g., hypertension) . Option B describes atrophy; C
describes dysplasia; D describes hyperplasia.
**3. A pathologist notes that a patient's dead heart muscle cells have
retained their basic structural outline for several days post-infarction.
This type of necrosis is called:**
A. Liquefactive
B. Coagulative
C. Caseous
D. Fat
**Answer:** B. Coagulative
**Rationale:** Coagulative necrosis is characteristic of hypoxic injury
(ischemia) in all solid organs except the brain. The cell structure is
preserved for days because the injury denatures structural proteins .
**4. A patient with Alzheimer's disease is experiencing brain cell death
that is genetically programmed and does not trigger inflammation. This
process is known as:**
,A. Necrosis
B. Autolysis
C. Apoptosis
D. Liquefaction
**Answer:** C. Apoptosis
**Rationale:** Apoptosis is "programmed cell death." It is a highly
regulated, energy-dependent process that removes damaged or old
cells without causing inflammation (unlike necrosis) .
**5. A nurse caring for a patient with chronic gastroesophageal reflux
disease (GERD) understands that the change of the esophageal lining
from squamous to columnar epithelium is an example of:**
A. Dysplasia
B. Hyperplasia
C. Metaplasia
D. Anaplasia
**Answer:** C. Metaplasia
**Rationale:** Metaplasia is the reversible replacement of one
differentiated cell type with another. In GERD, the esophagus changes
from squamous to columnar (Barrett esophagus) to better withstand
the acid exposure .
**6. Which cellular change is considered reversible?**
A. Coagulative necrosis
, B. Fatty change (steatosis)
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Liquefactive necrosis
**Answer:** B. Fatty change (steatosis)
**Rationale:** Fatty change (accumulation of lipids inside cells) is a
sign of sublethal injury. If the injurious agent (e.g., alcohol or toxins) is
removed, the cell can metabolize the fat and return to normal function
.
**7. A biopsy report indicates "loss of cellular differentiation, nuclear
abnormalities, and significant variation in cell size and shape." The
nurse interprets this as:**
A. Atrophy
B. Hypertrophy
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
**Answer:** D. Dysplasia
**Rationale:** Dysplasia literally means "disordered growth." It
features abnormal changes in cell size, shape, and organization. It is
often a precursor to cancer but can sometimes be reversible if the
irritating cause is removed .
**8. A patient's MRI shows that a specific organ has decreased in size
due to a reduction in cell size. This is known as:**
A. Hyperplasia
