Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
2000-10-24
pubmed:abstractText
Peritoneal adhesions are a major complication of healing following surgery or infection and can lead to conditions such as intestinal obstruction, infertility, and chronic pain. Mature adhesions are the result of aberrant peritoneal healing and historically have been thought to consist of non-functional scar tissue. The aim of the present study was to analyse the cellular composition, vascularity, and extracellular matrix distribution of human peritoneal adhesions, to determine whether adhesions represent redundant scar tissue or are dynamic regenerating structures. Furthermore, the histological appearance of each adhesion was correlated with the clinical history of the patient, to determine whether maturity or intraperitoneal pathology influences adhesion structure. Human peritoneal adhesions were collected from 29 patients undergoing laparotomy for various conditions and were prepared for histology, immunocytochemistry, and transmission electron microscopy. All adhesions were highly vascularized, containing well-developed arterioles, venules, and capillaries. Nerve fibres, with both myelinated and non-myelinated axons, were present in adhesions from nearly two-thirds of the patients, with increased incidence in those with a malignancy. Approximately one-third of the adhesions contained conspicuous smooth muscle cell clusters lined by collagen fibres of heterogeneous size. Adipose tissue was a consistent feature of all the adhesions, with some areas displaying fibrosis. There appeared to be no correlation between the estimated maturity or site of each adhesion and its histological appearance. However, intraperitoneal pathology at the time of surgery did influence the incidence of some histological features, such as the presence of nerve fibres, clusters of smooth muscle cells, and inflammation. This study challenges previous concepts that adhesions represent non-functional scar tissue and clearly demonstrates that established adhesions are highly cellular, vascularized, and innervated, features more consistent with dynamic, regenerating structures.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Sep
pubmed:issn
0022-3417
pubmed:author
pubmed:copyrightInfo
Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
192
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
67-72
pubmed:dateRevised
2008-11-21
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2000
pubmed:articleTitle
Human peritoneal adhesions are highly cellular, innervated, and vascularized.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Medicine, University College London Medical School, University College London, London WC1E 6JJ, UK. s.herrick@ucl.ac.uk
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article