ISSN:
1432-2307
Keywords:
Thyroid
;
Adenoma
;
Ultrastructure
;
Immunhistochemistry
;
Thyroglobulin
;
Lysosomes
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Summary Histological, immunhistochemical and electronmicroscopic studies of 12 human, scintigraphically “cold”, thyroid adenomas with specific cytological differentiation identified four different cell types: oxiphil cell, clear cell, ergastoplasm-rich cell and mitochondrion-rich cell. The oxiphil tumor cell can be recognized light-microscopically by its large size and its eosinophilic granular cytoplasm. Most of these cells do not produce thyroglobulin. The ultrastructural characteristics of oxyphil cells are principally mitochondria in great numbers and many large lysosomes. Clear cell adenomas show a trabecular growth pattern. The tumor cells have an abundance of cytoplasm which contains small acidophilic granules. Immunhistochemically we were able to demonstrate thyroglobulin in small amounts within cytoplasmic granules and more extensively within the follicle lumina. Electronmicroscopically we observed a large number of smooth surfaced vacuoles of varying size, extraordinary large lysosomes and occasional cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum, the latter probably corresponding to the immune-histochemically identified thyroglobulin granules. The ergastoplasm-rich-cell adenomas, which to the best of our knowledge have not been previously described, show a predominantly micro-to normofollicular architecture histologically without intrafollicular colloid. The cytoplasm of the ergastoplasm-rich cells reveales a strong positive thyroglobulin-staining reaction. The fine structure of these cells is characterized by the abundance of cisternae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The mitochondrion-rich-cell adenomas exhibited a microfollicular structure with an intensive acidophilic granular staining at the basal part of the tumor cells. Immunhistochemically and electronmicroscopically we found some morphologic and functional features which differentiate these cells from the oxyphil cell. Thyroglobulin was located predominantly in the apical portion of the cytoplasm in the mitochondrion-rich cells without sharp demarcation from the luminar thyroglobulin. Electron microscopically fewer basal and laterally located mitochondria were seen in mitochondrion-rich cells compared with oxyphil cells. As we could not find any sign of functional activity in the oxyphilic, clear cell and ergastoplasm-rich cell adenomas we analysed those aspects of the lysosomal system not concerned with the enzymatic digestion of thyroglobulin.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00430459
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