Here is your complete pathology mnemonics + quick reference guide, organized by major topic:
Pathology Mnemonics & Quick Reference Diagrams
1. CELL INJURY - Quick Reference Diagram
Reversible injury features - mnemonic: "MR CELL"
- M - Mitochondrial swelling
- R - Ribosomal detachment
- C - Cellular swelling
- E - ER (endoplasmic reticulum) swelling
- L - Lipid accumulation
- L - Loss of microvilli
Irreversible injury features - mnemonic: "PKL" (nuclear changes)
- P - Pyknosis (nuclear condensation)
- K - Karyorrhexis (fragmentation)
- L - Karyolysis (nuclear pallor/dissolution)
2. SIX TYPES OF NECROSIS - Quick Reference Diagram
Mnemonic: "Can Little Fat Girls Fight Cancers?"
| Letter | Type | Classic Location | Key Feature |
|---|
| C | Coagulative | Heart, kidney (infarcts) | Preserved ghost outlines |
| L | Liquefactive | Brain, abscesses | Liquid pus, neutrophils |
| F | Fat | Pancreas | Chalky white, saponification |
| G | Gangrenous | Limbs | Black, dry or wet |
| F | Fibrinoid | Blood vessel walls | Vasculitis, bright pink |
| C | Caseous | Tuberculosis granuloma | Cheesy yellow-white material |
3. PATHOGENESIS OVERVIEW DIAGRAM
4. INFLAMMATION MNEMONICS
Cardinal Signs of Inflammation: "PRISH"
| Letter | Latin | English |
|---|
| P | Pallor (none) | - |
| R | Rubor | Redness |
| I | | Loss of function (Functio laesa) |
| S | | Swelling (Tumor) |
| H | | Heat (Calor) + Pain (Dolor) |
Better mnemonic: "SHARP"
- S - Swelling (Tumor)
- H - Heat (Calor)
- A - Ache/Pain (Dolor)
- R - Redness (Rubor)
- P - Pain + loss of function (Dolor + Functio laesa)
Acute vs Chronic Inflammation:
| Feature | Acute | Chronic |
|---|
| Duration | Days | Weeks - months |
| Main cells | Neutrophils | Lymphocytes, macrophages, plasma cells |
| Onset | Fast | Slow |
| Outcome | Resolution or progression | Fibrosis, granuloma |
Mnemonic for chronic inflammation cells: "MEGA-P"
- M - Macrophages
- E - Eosinophils (parasites/allergy)
- G - Giant cells
- A - Activated lymphocytes
- P - Plasma cells
5. CELLULAR ADAPTATIONS - Mnemonic: "HAMDA"
| Letter | Adaptation | Direction | Example |
|---|
| H | Hypertrophy | Cell size ↑ | Cardiac muscle in HTN |
| A | Atrophy | Cell size ↓ | Disuse, denervation |
| M | Metaplasia | Cell type change | Barrett's esophagus (squamous → columnar) |
| D | Dysplasia | Disordered growth | Pre-cancer |
| A | Aplasia/Hyperplasia | Cell number ↑ | Endometrial hyperplasia |
6. APOPTOSIS vs NECROSIS - Quick Comparison
Mnemonic: Apoptosis = "ATP and Programmed" | Necrosis = "No ATP, No Plan"
| Feature | Apoptosis | Necrosis |
|---|
| Cause | Programmed (physiological) | Pathological |
| Cell size | Shrinks | Swells |
| Membrane | Intact | Ruptures |
| Inflammation | NO | YES |
| ATP needed | YES | No |
| Fragments | Apoptotic bodies | Cell debris |
| Caspases | YES | No |
7. GRANULOMA-FORMING CONDITIONS - Mnemonic: "SARCOID BEAST"
- S - Sarcoidosis
- A - Actinomyces
- R - Rheumatoid arthritis
- C - Crohn's disease
- O - Other fungi (Histoplasma, Coccidioides)
- I - Immune reactions (berylliosis)
- D - Drug reactions
- B - Brucellosis
- E - Extrinsic allergic alveolitis
- A - Aspergillosis (rare)
- S - Schistosomiasis / Syphilis
- T - TB (classic!)
8. TUMOR MARKERS MNEMONIC - "CEA = Colon, Esophagus, Any GI"
| Marker | Cancer | Mnemonic |
|---|
| CEA | Colon, pancreas, gastric | Colon Eats Alot |
| AFP | Liver (HCC), testicular | Alpha Fetal = liver/fetal |
| PSA | Prostate | Prostate Screening Antigen |
| CA-125 | Ovary | 125 Ovarian |
| CA 19-9 | Pancreas | 19-9 = Pancreas (pan=19) |
| HCG | Choriocarcinoma, testicular | Human Chorionic Gonadotropin |
| S-100 | Melanoma, neural | Skin/Nerve = S-100 |
9. QUICK ONLINE RESOURCES FOR MORE MNEMONICS
Pro tip: Pair these mnemonics with Anki flashcard decks (search "Pathoma Anki deck" or "Robbins Anki deck" on Reddit/Anki shared decks) for spaced repetition - it's the fastest way to make these stick before exams.That covers the major high-yield pathology topics with mnemonics and visual diagrams. Want me to go deeper on any specific area - for example, neoplasia, hemodynamics, immunopathology, or organ-specific pathology (liver, kidney, lung, heart)? I can generate detailed mnemonics + diagrams for any of those.