Virchows Archiv

Stary, Herbert

doi: 10.1007/BF01200894pmid: 157617

Stetz, Estelle; Majno, Guido; Joris, Isabelle

doi: 10.1007/BF01200895pmid: 157618

The aortic intima of adult rats, studied by electron microscopy, showed several changes indicative of spontaneous cellular pathology. These changes occurred almost exclusively at the level of fenestrae in the internal elastic membrane. The initial event was the formation of club-shaped cell processes arising from the smooth muscle cells and protruding into the fenestrae; this phenomenon gave rise to four types of images: (a) shortpseudopodia reaching through the fenestrae; (b) long pseudopodia that pushed their way into the body of the overlying endothelial cells, giving rise tomyo-endothelial herniae (reminiscent of the cell-to-cell herniae previously described in small, normal muscular arteries); (c) membrane-bound cellular parts apparently lying free beneath the endothelium, for which the current termghost bodies in convenient; and (d) intraendothelial structures lined by two membranes, clearly arising through the mechanism of herniation, and best referred to aspseudo-vacuoles. Some of the myo-endothelial herniae become very large and stretch the endothelium to such an extent that it could easily burst, especially during tissue processing. This mechanism should account for many of the endothelial bulges and “craters” often seen by scanning electron microscopy. The formation of such craters (arising from the collapse of myo-endothelial herniae as well as of endothelial blebs) offers a plausible explanation for the “stomata” and “stigmata” that have been described in silver nitrate preparations of the endothelium for over a century.

Laissue, J.; Stoner, R.

doi: 10.1007/BF01200896pmid: 157619

Hematological and other morphological changes following body deuteration were evaluated in young adult pathogen-free female Swiss albino mice given heavy water (99.8% D2O) as drinking fluid. Control groups included mice given tap water ad libitum, distilled water, or amounts of tap water equivalent to the reduced fluid intake of animals drinking D2O. Deuterated mice manifested changes in their spontaneous activity, weight loss, fall in body temperature, atactic gait, ruffled fur, decrease in breathing rate and preterminal cachexia. The mice were killed in a moribund state after exposure to D2O for about 2 weeks. At the time of death, packed red blood cell volumes were within normal range. Mean erythrocyte counts were not markedly reduced. In contrast, there was a conspicuous blood lymphocytopenia. The bone marrow displayed a normal cellularity and a moderate reduction in the proportion of erythropoietic cells. A particularly striking weight loss of thymus and spleen, and a marked systemic lymphocyte depletion were apparent, particularly in the thymus, white pulp of the spleen, lymph nodes, and gut-associated lymphoid tissue. Signs of increased cell death were found in lymphoid organs. The number of mitotic figures in intestinal cryt epithelia was reduced. Since D2O is known to interfere with DNA synthesis and mitosis, the deuterium-induced systemic lymphocyte depletion was probably due to disturbed cell proliferation and increased cell death.

Machado, Emilio; Jones, J.; Lange, Robert

doi: 10.1007/BF01200897pmid: 157620

Electron microscopy studies were made on tissues of cyclic hematopoietic (CH) dogs of various ages presenting a high incidence of spontaneous amyloidosis. The distribution and morphologic characteristics of amyloidosis in this animal model closely correspond to the secondary and familial forms of the disease in humans. Plasma cells and, particularly, macrophages presented marked changes during the evolution of amyloid deposition. Residual bodies in the macrophages contained abundant cell debris, a result of both endocytic and autophagocytic activities. Intracellular amyloid fibrils were not observed by conventional electron microscopy. A few reticular cells contained intracytoplasmic fibrils which were morphologically different from amyloid. There was no correlation between the amount of intracellular fibrils and the size of the extracellular amyloid deposits. On the contrary, a temporal association between the magnitude of the amyloid deposits and cytoplasmic changes in the macrophages at sequential stages of the evolution of the disease was evident. It is suggested that the hematopoietic defect in the CH dog could play an important role in the production of amyloidosis, making this animal an excellent experimental model for studies of that disease.

Dralle, H.; Böcker, W.; Koch, G.

doi: 10.1007/BF01200898pmid: 157621

This electron microscopic study is based on 12 cases of toxic goiter treated preoperatively with iodide, thionamides and lithium. Essential features of Graves' disease include hypertrophy of the follicular epithelium, papillary follicular infoldings and frequently, lymphocytic infiltration and fibrosis. After preoperative therapy most thyroid glands show involutional changes of varying degree with reaccumulation of colloid and flattening of the follicular epithelium. In a small number of histologically examined cases (n=84) colloid goitre (13%) and nodular goitre (8%) were noted. Lymphocytic infiltration and interstitial fibrosis do not show any correlation with preoperative treatment. Ultrastructurally, different stages of cellular involution are seen. The hypertrophic follicular cell shows an increased cell surface with numerous long microvilli and some pseudopodia at the apical border and an occasionally thickened, basal lamina. The cytoplasm contains a well developed system of organelles which synthesizes (rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, cytoplasmic vesicles) and degrades (colloid droplets, lysosomes) thyroglobulin. With increasing cellular atrophy we found cells to be reduced in size but to contain well developed thyroglobulin-synthesizing organelles. Finally, we observed completely atrophic flat cells with only a few organelles.

Otto, H.; Sack, J.; Gebbers, J.; Schulz, K.; Müller-Wieland, K.

doi: 10.1007/BF01200899pmid: 157622

21 patients (6 females and 15 males) with Dermatitis herpetiformis have been studied with special considerations of the small intestinal biopsyfindings. During this investigation the patient's mean age was 45 years (20–68) and the mean age at onset was 38 years (17–64).

Henrichs, K.; Wenisch, H.; Hofmann, W.; Klein, F.

doi: 10.1007/BF01200900pmid: 157623

A 25-year-old man with chest pain and shortness of breath was found to have a primary sarcoma of the pulmonary artery.

Matilla, Alfredo; Rivera, Francisco; Fernández-Sanz, Juan; Galera, Hugo

doi: 10.1007/BF01200901pmid: 224570

A benign nonchromaffin paraganglioma of the duodenum is described and compared with other reported cases. Duodenal location is extremely rare but the morphology, based on the optical microscopic pattern (Zellballen) and the ultrastructural appearance is, comparable with paragangliomas of other sites. The lack of nerve fibres and ganglion cells in this tumour, together with the absence of a positive chromaffin reaction permits us to classify it as a pure nonchromaffin paraganglioma. This finding constitutes indirect evidence of the probable existence of a paraganglion in the duodenal wall, a structure not yet demonstrated in the adult.

Manz, Herbert; Klein, Larry; Fermaglich, Joseph; Kattah, Jorge; Luessenhop, Alfred

doi: 10.1007/BF01200902pmid: 157624

Diminishing right ocular visual acuity for three weeks in a 30 year old man was confirmed by examination. Bilateral scotomata and bitemporal hemiachromatopsia indicated a chiasmal lesion; reduced visual acuity and Marcus Gunn pupil of the right eye and left relative temporal hemianopia indicated asymmetric involvement. Erythrocytes in the CSF verified a suspected subarachnoid bleed; contrast-enhanced CAT scan demonstrated a suprasellar mass. A cystic, multiloculated, bluish mass distorted the right optic nerve, tract, and chiasm. A hematoma was evacuated and biopsy revealed a cavernous hemangioma of the right optic nerve. Post-operatively, visual acuity has recovered in the right eye but a left homonymous temporal hemianopia has developed.

Willén, Helena; Willén, Roger; Gad, Adel; Thorstensson, Sten

doi: 10.1007/BF01200903pmid: 157625

A case of peliosis hepatis in a 3 year old child with steroid hormone producing adrenal tumour is presented. The diagnosis of the adrenal tumour and peliosis hepatis was settled on the basis of surgical material examination. This case of peliosis hepatis due to endogenous steroid production lends more support to the earlier reported cases of iatrogenically produced peliosis due to exogenous steroid treatment.