Reticular Fibrosis Research Articles

Prevalence of pulmonary involvement in rheumatoid arthritis and its relationship to some characteristics of the patients. A radiological and clinical study.

The chest radiographs of 309 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were compared with those of 309 controls. In RA, lung nodules were present in 0.3% and pleural effusion in 0.6% only. Diffuse reticulonodular fibrosis occurred in 4.5% of the RA patients and 0.3% of the controls (p less than 0.001) and was related to subcutaneous nodules, antinuclear antibodies and high Waaler-Rose titres. Diffuse reticular fibrosis occurred in 6.8% and 5.2% respectively and was related only to age greater than 60 and cigarette smoking. Healed tuberculosis occurred in 17.2% of the RA males and in 6.1% of the male controls (p less than 0.025). Sequelae of pleurisy occurred in 16.2% of the RA females and in 8.1% of female controls (p less than 0.025) and was related to involvement of many joints and high ESR. Sequelae of pleurisy occurred in 24.2% of the RA males and 16.2% of the male controls. The pleuropulmonary findings were not related to the therapy given or to the death rate during a mean follow-up period of 5.7 years.

Isolated splenic vein occlusion. Review of literature and report of an additional case.

In 1866, Gretsel described a syndrome consisting of primary splenomegaly, secondary anemia, and chronicity. Griessinger termed this splenic anemia. 1 In 1894, Banti isolated his syndrome from this broad entity. 1 Banti defined three clinical features: (1) a period lasting from three to five years and characterized by splenomegaly and anemia; (2) a short period characterized by hepatomegaly and oliguria; and (3) a final period lasting one to two years and characterized by ascites and a small liver. He also noted that the syndrome was frequently associated with hemorrhages from the mouth and bowel, an icteric skin hue (without true icterus), and a secondary anemia distinguished by leukopenia and relative lymphocytosis. Pathologically, Banti noted that this entity demonstrated (1) endophlebitis and calcification of the splenic vein; (2) splenic reticular fibrosis with narrowing of the splenic vein and capsular thickening; (3) presence of cirrhosis of the liver; and (4) finding of

Morphological aspects of renal tuberculosis after prolonged combined tuberculostatic treatment

Investigating their tuberculotic patients the authors have found that the number of nephrectomies performed due to tuberculosis has shown a marked decrease since the introduction of the combined antituberculotic treatment. A comparison between the histological picture of kidneys nephrectomized without preliminary suppressive drug treatment or only given insufficient streptomycin, and that gained from nephrectomies following combined suppressive drug treatment, shows that in the latter the perifocal diffuse lymphocyte infiltration gets reduced, while in the untreated cases it is high, and the number of histiocytes increases. Of this the conclusion is drawn that the non-specific component of the inflammation also decreases as a result of streptomycin. In the cases treated there were reticular fibres in the tubercles, epitheloid cells were characteristic of the picture, and there was a decrease in the number and size of the Langhans cells. It is also considered as the result of the treatment that reticular fibrosis was replaced by collagen fibrosis. Summing up, the authors state that the combined treatment not only accelerates recovery but considerably changes the histological picture too.

Early changes in diet-induced fatty livers of mice.

AbstractMice (Taconic Swiss) were fed a high‐fat (28% lard), low‐protein (8% casein), lipotropic‐deficient diet for 1–90 days. For 21 days parenchymal liposis was greatest in peripheral and outer middle zones of the lobule. During 21–90 days fat increased in central and middle zones and decreased in peripheral zones.Ceroid pigment developed in Kupffer cells within 12 days. During 31–45 days Kupffer cells coalesced and formed large ceroid globules which increased in size and number during the 46–90 day period. A reticular fibrosis surrounded the masses of ceroid.As early as seven days stromal distortion consisting chiefly of compression of reticulum by fat laden hepatocytes was prominent in peripheral lobular zones. Sinusoids were also obstructed and dilated by this process. Some became non‐functional and were transformed to fibrous cords. With progressive liposis (after 30 days) irregular stromal changes developed in all zones of lobules.