Hypoplasia, Atrophy, Hypertrophy

Hypoplasia affects the development of a tissue or organ due to a lack of cell growth.It is a failure of
an organ or tissue to attain its full size. Conditions involving hypoplasia are typically the result of a
problem at birth that causes too few cells in a tissue or organ. This lack of cells can cause problems
with the functioning of the tissue or organ.

Etiology
•Congenital anomalies
•Inadequate innervation
•Inadequate blood supply
•Malnutrition
•Infections

Hypoplasia can occur in many different areas of the body, and a range of conditions involve
hypoplasia.
Some examples include:
⮚ Cerebellar hypoplasia
⮚ Enamel hypoplasia
⮚ Testicular hypoplasia

Cerebellar hypoplasia
This can be part of a number of congenital syndromes and metabolic and neurodegenerative
conditions. It results in an abnormally small cerebellum, which can lead to problems with motor
function and muscle development.
Symptoms - struggle to walk and perform other basic movements. If it is less severe the animals
seem disoriented.

Enamel Hypoplasia
Enamel hypoplasia is defined as enamel defects that present incomplete or defective formation of the
enamel matrix (Lobprise, 2019). A decrease of enamel thickness occurs during tooth development.
The figure is the oral examination of the patient. A. from the left lateral recumbency position
showing diffuse lesion of pits irregular surface and many plaque and accumulation on the
crowns (see the arrow). B. from the right lateral recumbency position showing clinical
appearance similar to the other side.

Testicular Hypoplasia
Decrease in the number of normal cells in normal arrangement in testis typically results in
decreased size.
In cattle, testicular hypoplasia has been associated with chromosomal aberration such as
mosacism ; the counterpart of human Klinefelter’s syndrome . Abnormal distribution of sex
chromosomes or autosomes bearing sex influencing genes may affect the development of the
testis and male masculinity . Trisomy of chromosomes-22 results in sterility and complete
spermatogenic arrest in man.
Mosacism is a genetic disorder in which there is more than one population of cells in the body;
each population differs in their chromosomes/genes due to error during development.
Klinefelter’s syndrome- male have sex chromatin
;recognized in adoulesence by small testis, tall body, and low sexual characters, mostly infertile.
Trisomy Chromosomes-22 - a rare chromosomal disorder in which all or a portion of
chromosome 22 appears to be present three times (trisomy)rather than twice in all cells of the
body.

Macroscopic and microscopic features :

❖ Organ size, weight, volume reduced
❖ Reduced size of cells
❖ Reduced number of cells
❖ Connective tissue and fat is more
 Atrophy is the reduction of the number and size of parenchymal cells of an organ or its parts which
was once normal. (compared from hypoplasia which is the term used for developmentally small size,
and aplasia for extreme failure of development so that only rudimentary tissue is present).
; shrinkage in size of cell from the loss of cell substance. When a sufficient number of cells are
involved, the entire tissue or organ diminishes in size and becomes atrophic.

Atrophy may occur from physiologic or pathologic causes:

Physiologic atrophy Pathologic atrophy

• Atrophy is a normal process of aging in some • The causes are as under:

tissues, which could be due to loss of endocrine ❑ Starvation atrophy
stimulation or arteriosclerosis. ❑ Ischaemic atrophy
i) Atrophy of lymphoid tissue in lymph nodes, ❑ Disuse atrophy
appendix and thymus. ❑ Neuropathic atrophy
ii) Atrophy of gonads after menopause. ❑ Endocrine atrophy
iii) Atrophy of brain with aging. ❑ Pressure atrophy
❑ Idiopathic atrophy

● Starvation atrophy
In starvation, there is first depletion of carbohydrate and fat stores followed by protein
catabolism. There is general weakness, emaciation and anaemia referred to as cachexia seen
in cancer and severely ill patients.

Emaciation- usually chronic and progressive condition

characterized by significant 20% body loss.
Anaemia - a condition in which the individual lacks enough
healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to the tissues
of the body.
Cachexia - a wasting syndrome that leads to loss of skeletal
muscle and fat.
Wasting syndrome - unwanted weight loss of more than 10 %
of an individual’s body weight.
 ● Ischaemic atrophy
Gradual diminution of blood supply due to atherosclerosis may result in shrinkage of the
affected organ e.g.
i) Small atrophic kidney in atherosclerosis of renal artery.
ii) Atrophy of brain in cerebral atherosclerosis.

● Disuse atrophy
Prolonged diminished functional activity is associated with disuse atrophy of the organ e.g.
i) Wasting of muscles of limb immobilised in cast.
ii.) Atrophy of the pancreas in obstruction of pancreatic duct.

● Neuropathic atrophy
Interruption in nerve supply leads to wasting of muscles e.g.
i) Poliomyelitis
ii) Motor neuron disease
iii) Nerve section.

● Endocrine atrophy
Loss of endocrine regulatory mechanism results in reduced metabolic activity of tissues and hence
atrophy e.g.
i) Hypopituitarism may lead to atrophy of thyroid, adrenal and gonads.
ii) Hypothyroidism may cause atrophy of the skin and its adnexal structures.

● Pressure atrophy
Prolonged pressure from benign tumours or cyst or aneurysm may cause compression and atrophy of
the tissues e.g.
i) Erosion of spine by tumour in nerve root.
ii) Erosion of skull by meningioma arising from pia- arachnoid.
iii) Erosion of sternum by aneurysm of arch of aorta.

● Idiopathic atrophy
There are some examples of atrophy where no obvious cause is present e.g.
i) Myopathies.
ii) Testicular atrophy.
Hypertrophy is an increase in the size of parenchymal cells resulting in enlargement of the organ or
tissue, without any change in the number of cells.
Physiological Hypertrophy

Compensatory Hypertrophy
• Can be Pathological and Physiological
• Result of impaired function of an organ system
• Ex: Increase in size of an organ or tissue when called upon to do additional work or to perform the
work of destroyed tissue or of a paired organ.
Macroscopic and microscopic features:

• Organs becomes large in size (macroscopic)

• Size of cells increases (microscopic)