Pneumonia: High-Yield Pathology for NEET PG
Pneumonia is a frequent, high-yield topic in NEET PG pathology. Success requires distinguishing between anatomical patterns and identifying causative agents quickly.
1. Anatomical Patterns
| Type | Key Pathological Features |
|---|---|
| Lobar Pneumonia | Entire lobe consolidation; S. pneumoniae. Four stages: Congestion, Red Hepatization, Gray Hepatization, Resolution. |
| Bronchopneumonia | Patchy, multicentric consolidation around bronchioles; S. aureus, H. influenzae, Klebsiella. |
| Atypical/Interstitial | Alveolar septa inflammation: Mycoplasma, Viruses, Chlamydia. |
2. Exam “Must-Know” Pearls
- Typical vs. Atypical: Typical (e.g., S. pneumoniae) = acute, high fever, productive cough, lobar consolidation. Atypical (e.g., Mycoplasma) = gradual, dry cough, diffuse interstitial infiltrates.
- Lobar Stages:
- Congestion: Vascular engorgement.
- Red Hepatization: Exudate with RBCs (liver-like consistency).
- Gray Hepatization: Fibrin/WBC dominance.
- Resolution: Enzymatic digestion of exudate.
- Radiology: Use the “ABC” mnemonic—Always Be Considering (Lobar) Pneumonia when seeing an air bronchogram.
NEET PG Exam Tip: S. pneumoniae remains the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia. Always check for age or clinical setting (e.g., hospitalized >48h implies HAP/VAP) to adjust your pathogen suspicion.