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Fat cells and membranous fat necrosis of aortic valves: A clinicopathological study
Author(s) -
Matsukuma Susumu,
Takeo Hiroaki,
Kono Takako,
Sato Kimiya
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
pathology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1827
pISSN - 1320-5463
DOI - 10.1111/pin.12074
Subject(s) - calcification , medicine , dysfunctional family , necrosis , fat necrosis , thickening , adipose tissue , regurgitation (circulation) , obesity , pathology , inflammation , stenosis , dystrophic calcification , cardiology , endocrinology , gastroenterology , chemistry , clinical psychology , polymer science
We examined 152 aortic valves ( AVs ), which included 82 postmortem non‐dysfunctional AVs (nd‐ AVs ) and 70 surgically removed dysfunctional AVs showing aortic stenosis ( AS ), aortic regurgitation ( AR ), or combined AS and AR ( AS ‐ R ). Fat cells, membranous fat necrosis ( MFN ), and fat‐ MFN ‐related lesions composed of fat cells and/or MFN were found in 127 (83.6%), 110 (72.4%), and 140 (92.1%) of 152 AVs , respectively, and all were associated with older age ( P = 0.010, P = 0.022, and P = 0.003, respectively). MFN was associated with fibrous thickening and calcification (both, P = 0.001). Nd ‐ AV fat cells and fat‐ MFN ‐related lesions were not correlated with body mass index. Compared with age‐ and sex‐matched control cases, MFN in AS and AS ‐R cases was more frequent ( P = 0.030 and P = 0.045, respectively), but MFN in AR cases showed no significant differences. Fat‐ MFN ‐related lesions, possibly representing true preceding fat cells, showed no differences in AVs with and without dysfunction or in dysfunctional types. These data suggest that AV fat cells are age‐related, obesity‐independent, and AV dysfunction‐unrelated common phenomenon. MFN is also age‐dependent and could be caused by AS and AS ‐R, which is probably concerned with AV thickening and calcification.