← Combined Technical (NG)
Past Questions
What is the important principle and use of frozen section in histopatholgy?
A)
To quickly preserve tissue in the natural state
B)
To quickly obtain sections for diagnosis without processing in paraffin
C)
To enhance staining
D)
To remove formalin pigments
Option B is correct: To quickly obtain sections for diagnosis without processing in paraffin.
Which laboratory test is a common marker used to measure the level of inflammation in the body?
A)
Blood sugar test
B)
Complete Blood Count (CBC)
C)
C-reactive protein (CRP) test
D)
Creatinine test
Option C is correct: C-reactive protein (CRP) test.
Which acid is commonly used as a strong decalcifying agent?
A)
EDTA
B)
Formic acid
C)
Nitric acid
D)
Acetic acid
In histopathology, strong decalcifying agents are strong acids. Nitric acid is a commonly used strong decalcifying acid. EDTA is a chelating agent and works more gently, formic acid is a weak organic acid used for slower decalcification, and acetic acid is not commonly used as a strong decalcifying agent.
For electron microscopy what is a common embedding medium used instead of a paraffin wax?
A)
Gelatin
B)
Agar
C)
Paraffin
D)
Resin
For electron microscopy, tissues need an embedding medium that can support very thin sectioning and preserve ultrastructural detail. **Resins** (such as epoxy resins) are commonly used because they harden well and allow ultrathin sections. **Paraffin wax** is used for light microscopy, not electron microscopy. Gelatin and agar are not standard embedding media for EM.
Histopathology slide should be stored for future references for atleast up to:
A)
1 years
B)
5 years
C)
10 years
D)
3 months
Histopathology slides are generally retained for long-term future reference, medico-legal purposes, and review. The standard minimum retention period asked in lab examinations is 5 years. Options like 3 months are far too short, and 1 year is usually inadequate for histopathology records.
What is the normal range of reticulocytes in adults?
A)
2%-4%
B)
0.2%-2.5%
C)
0.5%-2.5%
D)
1%-2.5%
Option C is correct: 0.5%-2.5%.
Which step in tissue processing involves replacing alcohol with a medium that can be infiltrated by paraffin wax?
A)
Clearing
B)
Dehydration
C)
Infiltration
D)
Fixation
In tissue processing, after dehydration removes water with alcohol, the next step is clearing, where alcohol is replaced by a clearing agent (such as xylene) that is miscible with paraffin wax. This prepares the tissue for wax infiltration.
- Dehydration removes water.
- Fixation preserves tissue structure.
- Infiltration is the actual filling of tissue with paraffin wax after clearing.
So the step that replaces alcohol with a medium infiltrated by paraffin wax is clearing.
Which type of leucocyte is increased in parasitic infections?
A)
Neutrophil
B)
Lymphocyte
C)
Eosinophil
D)
Lymphocyte
Option C is correct: Eosinophil.
ESR will show low value in which condition?
A)
Anaemia
B)
Polycythemia
C)
Tuberculosis
D)
Rheumatoid arthritis
ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) becomes low when the number of red blood cells is increased, as in polycythemia. More RBCs make the blood more viscous and reduce the rate of settling. In contrast, anaemia usually raises ESR, and inflammatory conditions like tuberculosis and rheumatoid arthritis also increase ESR.
During tissue processing, what is the correct sequence of steps?
A)
Clearing, Dehydration, Infiltration
B)
Dehydration, Infiltration, Clearing
C)
Infiltration, Dehydration, Clearing
D)
Dehydration, Clearing, Infiltration
Option D is correct: Dehydration, Clearing, Infiltration.
What is a “floater” in histopathology grossing?
A)
An improperly grossed specimen
B)
A specimen that is too large
C)
Extraneous tissue fragments on a slide from another specimen
D)
An unfixed specimen
Option C is correct: Extraneous tissue fragments on a slide from another specimen.
Nitrite in a urine specimen suggest the presence of:
A)
White blood cell
B)
Red blood cell
C)
Bacteria
D)
Yeast
Option C is correct: Bacteria.
What is a characteristic of a benign neoplasm?
A)
Metastasis to distant sites
B)
Invasion of surrounding tissue
C)
Rapid, uncontrolled growth
D)
It does not spread and usually has a more favorable prognosis
A benign neoplasm is non-cancerous. It typically grows slowly, remains localized, and does not metastasize to distant sites. Option (d) correctly describes this behavior and its generally good prognosis. Options (a) and (b) are features of malignant tumors, and (c) is more characteristic of malignant or aggressive neoplasms rather than benign ones.
May Grunwald Giemsa (MGG) stain is a type of:
A)
Supravital stain
B)
Acid-fast stain
C)
Vital stain
D)
Romanowsky stain
Option D is correct: Romanowsky stain.
Which tube is ideally collected first for CSF analysis?
A)
For microbiological examination
B)
For cell count
C)
For chemical and serological tests
D)
For all test
In CSF collection, the first tube is ideally sent for microbiological examination because it is the least likely to be contaminated by skin flora introduced during lumbar puncture. The later tubes are generally used for cell count and then chemical/serological tests. So the first tube is for microbiology, making option (a) correct.
Aspiration cytology of lung is usually carried out under:
A)
Television fluoroscopy
B)
Ultrasound guidance
C)
CT guided
D)
Surgical intervention
Aspiration cytology of the lung is most commonly done under CT guidance because CT provides precise visualization of the lesion, helps avoid blood vessels and vital structures, and improves needle placement in deep pulmonary lesions. Ultrasound guidance is generally useful for superficial or pleural-based lesions, not most lung parenchymal lesions. Television fluoroscopy is older and less accurate for localizing many lung masses. Surgical intervention is not the usual method for aspiration cytology.
Which of the following is an example of exfoliative cytology?
A)
Bronchoalveolar lavage
B)
FNAC
C)
Biopsy
D)
Bone marrow aspiration
Exfoliative cytology studies cells shed or washed off from body surfaces and cavities. Bronchoalveolar lavage collects cells from the lining of the bronchioles and alveoli by washing them out, so it is an example of exfoliative cytology. FNAC and bone marrow aspiration are aspiration cytology techniques, while biopsy is a tissue-based histopathological examination, not cytology.
An automated haematology cell counter use the principle of:
A)
diffusion
B)
colour absorption changes
C)
electrical impedence
D)
wave frequency
Option C is correct: electrical impedence.
In cytology which technique improves sample quality and allows for additional testing?
A)
Conventional smear method
B)
Cyto-centrifugation
C)
Manual slide staining
D)
Liquid based cytology (LBC)
Liquid based cytology (LBC) improves sample quality by reducing obscuring material such as blood, mucus, and debris, and it creates a more uniform cell preparation. It also preserves part of the sample in liquid medium, allowing additional testing like HPV testing or other ancillary studies. Conventional smear method does not provide this advantage, cyto-centrifugation mainly concentrates cells but is not specifically designed for broader additional testing, and manual slide staining is only a staining step, not a sample-processing technique.
What is the purpose of acid alcohol in Ziehl Neelsen staining process?
A)
To fix the smear
B)
To decolorize non acid fast organism
C)
To heat the slide
D)
To counterstain the background
Option B is correct: To decolorize non acid fast organism.
B-Lymphocytes can turn into
A)
Mast cells
B)
Dendritic cells
C)
Thrombocytes
D)
Plasma cells
Option D is correct: Plasma cells.
Which type of T-cell is distinguished by the presence of a CD4 receptor?
A)
Cytotoxic cells
B)
Helper T-cells
C)
Suppressor T-cells
D)
Regulatory T-cells
CD4 is the marker characteristic of Helper T-cells (also called Th cells). These cells recognize antigen presented on MHC class II molecules and help activate B-cells, cytotoxic T-cells, and macrophages. Cytotoxic T-cells are typically CD8+, while suppressor/regulatory T-cells are not identified simply by CD4 alone in this basic classification.
Gram staining is a type of:
A)
Acid-fast staining
B)
Simple staining
C)
Negative staining
D)
Differential staining
Option D is correct: Differential staining.
What is the effect of over-decalcification?
A)
Better sectioning
B)
Improved staining
C)
Loss of nuclear staining
D)
Enhanced antigenicity
Option C is correct: Loss of nuclear staining.
Prussian blue stain is used for:
A)
Iron
B)
Hemosiderin
C)
Glycogen
D)
Bacteria
Option B is correct: Hemosiderin.