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6th ESACP Congress, Heidelberg, April 7-11, 1999 |
A108
"Bitten Fibres" (BF) have been shown to occur in muscle biopsies from
patients with immunological disorders, especially with collagen diseases.
Nevertheless, they have not reached a wide interest in analytical cellular
research up to now. They are characterized by small concave irregularities of
the sarcolemma and can be reliably diagnosed in good frozen sections, better
in araldite embedded semithin-sections. In our studies, we proved other
distinct morphological features: a thickened basal lamina surrounding the
sarcolemma and the capillaries, as well as deposits of immunglobulin at the
basement membrane. A numerical increase of capillaries between the muscle
fibres was seen in some cases. Especially, it has been proven, that cases
with BF (n=11) can be reliably distinguished from controls (n=8) and from
cases with neurogenic atrophy (n=10) by means of morphometric shape analysis
using Fourier-Analysis of the fibres outlines. Bitten Fibres thus seem to be
an important cytological feature for the neuropat hologist indicating an
immunological disorder, especially if there are no further signs of
pathological alterations in the muscle biopsy.
"BITTEN FIBRES" IN SCELETAL MUSCLE BIOPSIES - A DISTINCT MORPHOLOGICAL
FEATURE AS AN INDICATOR FOR IMMUNOLOGICAL DISORDERS
Nafe R 1, Schlote W 1, Schneider 2
1) Edinger Institute of Neuropathology, Clinics of Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe
University, Frankfurt/Main, 2) Institute of Biometrics,
Medical School, Hannover, Germany