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University HubAll Years (1st-Final)Systemic Pathology
Systemic Pathology Important Topics and Questions for MBBS
Systemic Pathology applies the processes of General Pathology to each organ system: heart, lungs, gut, liver, kidney, endocrine glands, bone and more. It is a large part of 2nd Year MBBS Pathology and feeds directly into Final Year Medicine and Surgery. This page lists the important systemic pathology topics, the questions to practise, and Pathology question papers from seven universities.
Compiled from university Pathology papers. SME-reviewed. Updated 2026.
Open Pathology PYQs in the GeckoMed app for offline access and topic-wise revision.Quick Facts: Systemic Pathology in MBBS
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Parent subject | Pathology |
| MBBS phase | Phase 2 (2nd Year) |
| Curriculum | NMC Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) |
| Paper placement | Many universities examine Systemic Pathology in a separate paper from General Pathology; haematology placement varies. Check your university scheme |
| Core areas | Cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary, renal, reproductive, breast, endocrine, bone, nervous system |
| Question formats | Long essays, short notes, short answers, specimen and slide spotters |
| PYQ years on GeckoMed | 2025 to 2021 (Tier-1 universities); 2025 to 2023 (other universities) |
Detail
MBBS phase
Information
Phase 2 (2nd Year)
Detail
Curriculum
Information
NMC Competency Based Medical Education (CBME)
Detail
Paper placement
Information
Many universities examine Systemic Pathology in a separate paper from General Pathology; haematology placement varies. Check your university scheme
Detail
Core areas
Information
Cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary, renal, reproductive, breast, endocrine, bone, nervous system
Detail
Question formats
Information
Long essays, short notes, short answers, specimen and slide spotters
Detail
PYQ years on GeckoMed
Information
2025 to 2021 (Tier-1 universities); 2025 to 2023 (other universities)
Papers by University
| University | State | Pathology Question Papers | Paper Years | Important Questions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RGUHS | Karnataka | View papers | 2025, 2024, 2023, 2021 | RGUHS Pathology |
| KNRUHS | Telangana | View papers | 2025, 2024, 2023, 2021 | KNRUHS Pathology |
| TNMGRMU | Tamil Nadu | View papers | 2025, 2024, 2023, 2021 | TNMGRMU Pathology |
| NTRUHS | Andhra Pradesh | View papers | 2025, 2024, 2023 | NTRUHS Pathology |
| WBUHS | West Bengal | View papers | 2025, 2024, 2023 | WBUHS Pathology |
| KUHS | Kerala | View papers | 2025, 2024, 2023 | KUHS Pathology |
| RUHS | Rajasthan | View papers | 2025, 2024, 2023 | RUHS Pathology |
University
RGUHS
State
Karnataka
Pathology Question Papers
Paper Years
2025, 2024, 2023, 2021
Important Questions
University
KNRUHS
State
Telangana
Pathology Question Papers
Paper Years
2025, 2024, 2023, 2021
Important Questions
University
TNMGRMU
State
Tamil Nadu
Pathology Question Papers
Paper Years
2025, 2024, 2023, 2021
Important Questions
University
NTRUHS
State
Andhra Pradesh
Pathology Question Papers
Paper Years
2025, 2024, 2023
Important Questions
University
WBUHS
State
West Bengal
Pathology Question Papers
Paper Years
2025, 2024, 2023
Important Questions
University
KUHS
State
Kerala
Pathology Question Papers
Paper Years
2025, 2024, 2023
Important Questions
University
RUHS
State
Rajasthan
Pathology Question Papers
Paper Years
2025, 2024, 2023
Important Questions
National pages: Pathology Important Questions | General Pathology Important Questions
Systemic Pathology Exam Pattern
| Question Type | What Is Usually Asked | How to Structure It |
|---|---|---|
| Long essay | One disease in full, such as rheumatic heart disease or cirrhosis | Definition, classification, aetiopathogenesis, gross and microscopic morphology, clinical features, complications |
| Short note | One lesion or tumour | Definition, key morphology, one diagram, complications |
| Short answer | Differences, classic features, eponyms | Table or two to five points |
| Spotter | Gross specimen or histopathology slide | Identify, key features, one clinical point |
Question Type
Long essay
What Is Usually Asked
One disease in full, such as rheumatic heart disease or cirrhosis
How to Structure It
Definition, classification, aetiopathogenesis, gross and microscopic morphology, clinical features, complications
Question Type
Short note
What Is Usually Asked
One lesion or tumour
How to Structure It
Definition, key morphology, one diagram, complications
Question Type
Short answer
What Is Usually Asked
Differences, classic features, eponyms
How to Structure It
Table or two to five points
Question Type
Spotter
What Is Usually Asked
Gross specimen or histopathology slide
How to Structure It
Identify, key features, one clinical point
Topic-Wise Priority Table
Priority reflects syllabus weight and standard textbook emphasis for MBBS Pathology. It is revision guidance, not a year-by-year frequency count. Paper-wise topic frequency is published in the GeckoMed app as it becomes available.
| System | High-Yield Topics | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular | Atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, rheumatic heart disease, infective endocarditis | High |
| Respiratory | Pneumonia, tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, lung carcinoma, pneumoconioses | High |
| Gastrointestinal | Peptic ulcer, carcinoma stomach, inflammatory bowel disease, carcinoma colon | High |
| Hepatobiliary | Viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, gallstones | High |
| Renal | Glomerulonephritis, nephrotic and nephritic syndromes, pyelonephritis, renal tumours | High |
| Female genital tract and breast | Carcinoma cervix, endometrial hyperplasia, ovarian tumours, fibroadenoma, carcinoma breast | High |
| Male genital tract | Testicular tumours, prostatic hyperplasia and carcinoma | Medium |
| Endocrine | Thyroiditis, thyroid neoplasms, diabetes mellitus | High |
| Bone and soft tissue | Osteomyelitis, osteosarcoma, giant cell tumour, Ewing sarcoma | High |
| Nervous system | Meningitis, CNS tumours | Medium |
| Haematology (where examined with systemic pathology) | Anaemias, leukaemias, lymphomas, bleeding disorders | High |
System
Cardiovascular
High-Yield Topics
Atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, rheumatic heart disease, infective endocarditis
Priority
High
System
Respiratory
High-Yield Topics
Pneumonia, tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, lung carcinoma, pneumoconioses
Priority
High
System
Gastrointestinal
High-Yield Topics
Peptic ulcer, carcinoma stomach, inflammatory bowel disease, carcinoma colon
Priority
High
System
Hepatobiliary
High-Yield Topics
Viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, gallstones
Priority
High
System
Renal
High-Yield Topics
Glomerulonephritis, nephrotic and nephritic syndromes, pyelonephritis, renal tumours
Priority
High
System
Female genital tract and breast
High-Yield Topics
Carcinoma cervix, endometrial hyperplasia, ovarian tumours, fibroadenoma, carcinoma breast
Priority
High
System
Male genital tract
High-Yield Topics
Testicular tumours, prostatic hyperplasia and carcinoma
Priority
Medium
System
Endocrine
High-Yield Topics
Thyroiditis, thyroid neoplasms, diabetes mellitus
Priority
High
System
Bone and soft tissue
High-Yield Topics
Osteomyelitis, osteosarcoma, giant cell tumour, Ewing sarcoma
Priority
High
System
Nervous system
High-Yield Topics
Meningitis, CNS tumours
Priority
Medium
System
Haematology (where examined with systemic pathology)
High-Yield Topics
Anaemias, leukaemias, lymphomas, bleeding disorders
Priority
High
High-Yield Facts to Revise
| Topic | Must-Know Point |
|---|---|
| Rheumatic heart disease | Aschoff bodies with Anitschkow cells in acute rheumatic carditis; mitral valve most commonly involved |
| Crohn's disease versus ulcerative colitis | Crohn's: transmural, skip lesions, granulomas; ulcerative colitis: mucosal, continuous from the rectum, crypt abscesses |
| Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis | Crescents in most glomeruli |
| Nephrotic versus nephritic syndrome | Nephrotic: heavy proteinuria, hypoalbuminaemia, oedema, hyperlipidaemia; nephritic: haematuria, hypertension, oliguria |
| Papillary carcinoma thyroid | Optically clear ("Orphan Annie eye") nuclei, nuclear grooves, psammoma bodies |
| Carcinoma cervix | Strongly associated with high-risk HPV types, particularly 16 and 18 |
| Osteosarcoma | Codman's triangle and sunburst appearance on X-ray |
| Giant cell tumour | "Soap bubble" appearance on X-ray, at the epiphysis of long bones |
| Chronic myeloid leukaemia | Philadelphia chromosome, t(9;22), BCR-ABL fusion |
| Hodgkin lymphoma | Reed-Sternberg cells |
Topic
Rheumatic heart disease
Must-Know Point
Aschoff bodies with Anitschkow cells in acute rheumatic carditis; mitral valve most commonly involved
Topic
Crohn's disease versus ulcerative colitis
Must-Know Point
Crohn's: transmural, skip lesions, granulomas; ulcerative colitis: mucosal, continuous from the rectum, crypt abscesses
Topic
Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis
Must-Know Point
Crescents in most glomeruli
Topic
Nephrotic versus nephritic syndrome
Must-Know Point
Nephrotic: heavy proteinuria, hypoalbuminaemia, oedema, hyperlipidaemia; nephritic: haematuria, hypertension, oliguria
Topic
Papillary carcinoma thyroid
Must-Know Point
Optically clear ("Orphan Annie eye") nuclei, nuclear grooves, psammoma bodies
Topic
Carcinoma cervix
Must-Know Point
Strongly associated with high-risk HPV types, particularly 16 and 18
Topic
Osteosarcoma
Must-Know Point
Codman's triangle and sunburst appearance on X-ray
Topic
Giant cell tumour
Must-Know Point
"Soap bubble" appearance on X-ray, at the epiphysis of long bones
Topic
Chronic myeloid leukaemia
Must-Know Point
Philadelphia chromosome, t(9;22), BCR-ABL fusion
Topic
Hodgkin lymphoma
Must-Know Point
Reed-Sternberg cells
Important Systemic Pathology Questions to Practise
These questions reflect the style used in MBBS university Pathology papers and are not attributed to a specific year or university.
Long Essay Questions
- Describe the aetiopathogenesis and morphology of rheumatic heart disease.
- Describe the pathogenesis, morphology and complications of atherosclerosis.
- Classify glomerulonephritis. Describe post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis.
- Define cirrhosis. Describe the aetiology, morphology and complications of cirrhosis of the liver.
- Describe the pathology of pulmonary tuberculosis.
- Classify bone tumours. Describe the pathology of osteosarcoma.
- Classify thyroid neoplasms. Describe papillary carcinoma of the thyroid.
- Classify leukaemias. Describe the blood picture in chronic myeloid leukaemia.
Short Notes
- Infective endocarditis
- Bronchiectasis
- Bronchogenic carcinoma
- Peptic ulcer
- Crohn's disease versus ulcerative colitis
- Viral hepatitis
- Hepatocellular carcinoma
- Nephrotic syndrome
- Chronic pyelonephritis
- Wilms tumour
- Carcinoma cervix
- Fibroadenoma of the breast
- Seminoma
- Hashimoto thyroiditis
- Giant cell tumour of bone
- Hodgkin lymphoma
Quick Viva Questions
Q: What are Aschoff bodies? A: Foci of inflammation with fibrinoid change, lymphocytes and Anitschkow cells, characteristic of acute rheumatic carditis.
Q: Which valve is most commonly affected in rheumatic heart disease? A: The mitral valve.
Q: What are crescents in the glomerulus? A: Proliferations of parietal epithelial cells and infiltrating inflammatory cells in Bowman's space, the hallmark of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis.
Q: What are psammoma bodies, and where are they seen? A: Concentrically laminated calcified structures, seen classically in papillary carcinoma of the thyroid.
Q: Which chromosomal abnormality defines chronic myeloid leukaemia? A: The Philadelphia chromosome, t(9;22), producing the BCR-ABL fusion gene.
Q: What does "skip lesions" mean? A: Areas of diseased bowel separated by normal bowel, typical of Crohn's disease.
How to Prepare for Systemic Pathology Questions
- Revise General Pathology first. Inflammation, neoplasia and haemodynamic disorders underpin every systemic topic.
- Use a fixed template for each disease: definition, aetiopathogenesis, gross, microscopy, clinical features and complications.
- Learn classic microscopic features and eponyms, which earn quick marks and help in spotters.
- Compare look-alike diseases in tables, such as Crohn's disease versus ulcerative colitis.
- Link to clinical topics such as myocardial infarction, peptic ulcer, liver cirrhosis and breast cancer.
- Practise specimens and slides with Pathology practical viva questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which systemic pathology topics are most important for MBBS?
Rheumatic heart disease, atherosclerosis, glomerulonephritis, cirrhosis, tuberculosis, lung carcinoma, thyroid neoplasms, bone tumours and leukaemias carry most of the long essay weight.
Should I study General or Systemic Pathology first?
General Pathology first, because Systemic Pathology applies the same processes to individual organs.
Are these systemic pathology questions free on GeckoMed?
Yes. The topic lists and university paper links on this page are free to view. The GeckoMed app adds offline access and topic-wise revision.
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