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Megakaryocytes In Pulmonary Blood Vessels
Author(s) -
Aabo Kristian,
Hansen Knud Bendix
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
acta pathologica microbiologica scandinavica section a pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0365-4184
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1978.tb02045.x
Subject(s) - medicine , lung , spleen , gastroenterology , pathology
In a study of 365 consecutive hospital autopsies and 21 forensic autopsies in previously healthy individuals, who had died suddenly, intravascular megakaryocytes (MK) were found in 94% (95% of the hospital series and 67% of the forensic series). The average value in the forensic series was 4 MK per cm 2 of lung tissue (0–16 MK per cm 2 ) with an estimated maximum value of 18 MK per cm 2 (p<0,0005). The average value in the hospital series was 37 MK per cm 2 (0–765 MK per cm 2 ). Defining 25 MK per cm 2 as the upper limit for normal counts in the lung, 35% (126/365) had increased values, 9% (32) having more than 100 MK per cm 2. The MK observed were mature forms, mostly naked nuclei, and in one case only megakaryoblasts were seen. MK were predominantly found in the lungs and very rarely in any of the other organs examined (spleen, liver and kidney). A correlation which is statistically significant at a high level was found between an increased number of pulmonary MK and manifest intravascular coagulation (p<0,001), acute infections (p<0,001). liver insufficiency (p<0,001), bleedings (p = 0,0027). cancer (p = 0,008), shock (p = 0,013) and fever (p = 0,060). We also found a statistical correlation between low values of pulmonary MK and leukaemia (p = 0,007). The diseases and clinical conditions which are positively correlated to an increased number of pulmonary MK (except bleedings) are known to be correlated to intravascular coagulation too. We therefore assume that consumption coagulopathy is the common pathogenic mechanism explaining the increased number of pulmonary MK, except in the case of bleedings where extrinsic platelet loss is the most likely mechanism.