A 75-year-old man is discovered unconscious in his home. The neighbor summons emergency medical services, but the patient is pronounced dead at the scene. The patient had a history of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and coronary artery disease, as well as a smoking history of 25 packs per year. He used to work in a coal mine and retired as an auto mechanic 15 years ago. An autopsy is performed; below is a section of lung tissue stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's abnormal histopathology findings?

Question

A 75-year-old man is discovered unconscious in his home. The neighbor summons emergency medical services, but the patient is pronounced dead at the scene. The patient had a history of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and coronary artery disease, as well as a smoking history of 25 packs per year. He used to work in a coal mine and retired as an auto mechanic 15 years ago. An autopsy is performed; below is a section of lung tissue stained with hematoxylin and eosin.  Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's abnormal histopathology findings?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Left-sided heart failure causes chronically elevated pulmonary venous and capillary pressures, resulting in pulmonary edema and red blood cell extravasation into the alveolar parenchyma. Alveolar macrophages absorb iron from red blood cells and store it as hemosiderin, which appears as a brown pigment under a microscope.

A 75-Year-Old Man Is Discovered Unconscious in His Home