Open AccessHistopathological Study of Aorto‐Coronary Bypass Grafts With Special Reference to Fibrin Deposits on Grafted Saphenous Veins
Author(s) -
Imakita Masami,
IshibashiUeda Hatsue
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
acta patholigica japonica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 74
ISSN - 0001-6632
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1827.1989.tb02457.x
Subject(s) - adventitia , fibrin , medicine , intimal hyperplasia , surgery , vein , artery , saphenous vein graft , pathology , smooth muscle , immunology
A histopathological study was performed on 36 patients (60 grafts) who had undergone aorto‐coronary bypass graft (ACBG) surgery 0 to 99 months prior to death. The following pathologic changes were found: 1) The thickness of diffuse intimal proliferation in the ACBG progressed with time from graft surgery to death. 2) The media became atrophic and the adventitia was increased slightly in thickness. 3) Fibrin deposits were found in 20 patients on/in the intimal thickenings of the vein graft walls and 7 patients showed incorporated fibrin in the thickened intima even one month after surgery. 4) Atherosclerosis, identified as intimal foam cell accumulation or frank plaques, was seen in only 3 patients 4 years after surgery. Fi‐brointimal proliferation occurred with relatively greater frequency in patients with fibrin deposits (P< 0.001). Although it is well known that mural thrombi in vein grafts manifest fibrointimal proliferation, our results suggest that fibrin deposits might be responsible for intimal thickening even one month after graft surgery. Acta Pathol Jpn 39: 425 432, 1989.