inflammation

Definition : Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants, and is a protective response involving immune cells, blood vessels, and molecular mediators.

The function of inflammation is to eliminate the initial cause of cell injury, clear out necrotic cells and tissues damaged from the original insult and the inflammatory process, and initiate tissue repair.

Types

  acute inflammation
 chronic inflammation

• granulomatous inflammation
• xanthogranulomatous inflammation
• fibrosis
• scaring

Etiology

 lesional inflammation
 infectious inflammation
 dysinflammatory inflammation
 dysimmune inflammation

Physiopathology

 cells of inflammation / cellular actors of inflammation / inflammatory cells
 mediators of inflammation / inflammatory mediators

 phases of inflammation

• vascular phase
• cellular phase
• healing

Localization (Examples)

 pharyngeal inflammation
 digestive inflammation
 pulmonary inflammation
 genital inflammation

See also

 tissular anomalies

References

 Rocha e Silva M. A brief survey of the history of inflammation. Agents Actions. 1978 Jan;8(1-2):45-9. PMID: 76437