Histopathological sinus node classification and its relation to coronary atherosclerosis using an atherometric system
Fernández-Britto, J.E.; Vikhert, A.M.; Paramio, A.; Campos, R.; Wong, R.; Madan, D.
Zentralblatt für Allgemeine Pathologie U. Pathologische Anatomie 136(1-2): 77-86
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0044-4030 PMID: 2327187 Document Number: 357207
Studies were conducted into 100 consecutive subjects (autopsy material), 53 men and 43 women between 31 and 70 years old, who had died a natural death. The HUDSON-procedure [7] was used for histopathological analysis of the cardiac conducting system (CCS). About 48 microscopic slides of each subject, incuding sinus node (SN) tissue, were inspected by 4 pathologists in a blind study. The findings were classified by 3 different groups according to histopathological data of the SN, viz. changes and distribution of P and T cells, stroma, artery, and innervation of SN. The 3 major epicardial branches of coronary arteries were prepared for morphometric studies by WHO standards. A digitizer coupled to a microcomputer LTEL (Cuba, IBM-compatible) was used for quantitative evaluation of atherosclerotic lesions (AL), and all data were subsequently processed on the same computer, using a statistical commercial package (Number Cruncher Statistical System) for results. An atherometric system was used and proved to be a properly standardized methodology, suitable to characterize AL in any vascular sector or group of patients. The most remarkable results were as follows: Three-group classification was useful in estimating the association between pathomorphological data of SN and coronary atherosclerosis. The atherometric system proved to be a powerful tool to study and characterize atherosclerotic lesions in coronary arteries.