Organ failure secondary to fi brosis is the main cause of morbidity and death in patients with systemic sclerosis. Gastrointestinal tract dysmotility is a major visceral manifestation, clinically ranging from an asymptomatic form to severe paresis. Although the oesophagus is the most frequently affected part of the gastrointestinal tract, all other segments can be involved. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the histopathological changes of the gastric wall in a series of fullthickness biopsies from systemic sclerosis patients who underwent gastric surgery due to severe gastroesophageal involvement. Gastric biopsies were processed for light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The histological and ultrastructural observations revealed a generalized fi brosis affecting all the gastric wall layers. The most severe changes were observed in the muscularis mucosae and muscle layers. Wide areas of marked focal fi brosis with dense collagen bundles and elastic fi bre deposition surrounding smooth muscle cells were found. Myofi laments and thickened dense bodies were severely disarranged or absent in most smooth muscle cells. Nerve fi bres showed ultrastructural alterations, such as oedematous axoplasm and scarce cytoskeletal elements. Abundant elastic and collagen fi bres enveloped nerve fi bres, nerve endings and interstitial cells of Cajal, thereby separating them from smooth muscle cells and blood microvessels. This study provides evidence for a prominent fi brosis and severe ultrastructural alterations of smooth muscle cells and nerve fi bres as the main histopathological hallmarks in the gastric wall of systemic sclerosis patients.

The gastric wall in systemic sclerosis patients: a morphological study / Manetti, Mirko; A. F., Milia; Benelli, Gemma; Messerini, Luca; MATUCCI CERINIC, Marco; Ibba, Lidia. - In: ITALIAN JOURNAL OF ANATOMY AND EMBRYOLOGY. - ISSN 1122-6714. - 115:(2010), pp. 115-121.

The gastric wall in systemic sclerosis patients: a morphological study

MATUCCI CERINIC, MARCO;
2010-01-01

Abstract

Organ failure secondary to fi brosis is the main cause of morbidity and death in patients with systemic sclerosis. Gastrointestinal tract dysmotility is a major visceral manifestation, clinically ranging from an asymptomatic form to severe paresis. Although the oesophagus is the most frequently affected part of the gastrointestinal tract, all other segments can be involved. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the histopathological changes of the gastric wall in a series of fullthickness biopsies from systemic sclerosis patients who underwent gastric surgery due to severe gastroesophageal involvement. Gastric biopsies were processed for light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The histological and ultrastructural observations revealed a generalized fi brosis affecting all the gastric wall layers. The most severe changes were observed in the muscularis mucosae and muscle layers. Wide areas of marked focal fi brosis with dense collagen bundles and elastic fi bre deposition surrounding smooth muscle cells were found. Myofi laments and thickened dense bodies were severely disarranged or absent in most smooth muscle cells. Nerve fi bres showed ultrastructural alterations, such as oedematous axoplasm and scarce cytoskeletal elements. Abundant elastic and collagen fi bres enveloped nerve fi bres, nerve endings and interstitial cells of Cajal, thereby separating them from smooth muscle cells and blood microvessels. This study provides evidence for a prominent fi brosis and severe ultrastructural alterations of smooth muscle cells and nerve fi bres as the main histopathological hallmarks in the gastric wall of systemic sclerosis patients.
2010
gastric wall
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11768/154597
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