The myenteric plexus of the human esophagus in membrane preparations
De Souza, R.R.; de Carvalho, C.A.; Fujimura, I.
Revista do Hospital das Clinicas 43(1): 81-83
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-8781 PMID: 3249882 Document Number: 325654
The morphology of ganglia and nerve cells in the myenteric plexus of the distal 12 cm of the human esophagus was determined in ten autopsy specimens of this organ. The morphology of the plexus and the ganglia was studied in cresyl violet-stained stretch preparations. In dissections the two muscle layers were carefully separated remaining the plexus attached to the intermuscular connective septum. The method allowed an adequate identification for the perikarya of the nerve cells and their distinction in relation to the satellite cells. The use of whole mount preparations eliminated embedding and sectioning of the tissues, which are responsible for some of the difficulties in observing neurons and the plexus. Peels have the advantage of presenting an enface view of the whole plexus. In this paper, using silver impregnated stretch preparations, nerve cells forming the esophageal myenteric plexus have been classified into one type (type I) by its morphology. They have a prominent axon and numerous dendrites which may be short and thick or long and thin. The dendrites of one neurone have been seen intimately mingled with that of another neuron.