A histological study of striated muscle and nerve fiber in the human caused by a high voltage electric current
Morita, M.; Kaneko, M.; Onodera, K.; Mizuguchi, M.; Ohtani, S.
Nihon Hoigaku Zasshi 43(1): 40-45
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0047-1887 PMID: 2770035 Document Number: 347244
A case of an electrocution is reported, involving a 37-year-old man who while engaged in an electrical work, received an electric shock by touching an electric wire of 11,000 volts. Both of his arms had to be amputated. A piece of muscle tissue was removed from the amputated arm to be examined by light and electron microscopy. Under light microscopy, the muscle tissue, after myoglobin staining, showed a particular pattern that closely resembled the pattern on the skin of a python. Thus the author has named the pattern seen in this case as the "Python-pattern". The electron microscopy inspection revealed on myoglobin staining excessive stretching and fragmentation of the myofibrils where the myoglobin staining was negative in the slide.