Summary
Six surgically removed pheochromocytomas were examined by electron microscopy.
Despite the variety of cell types, five of the tumors were classed as noradrenalin-adrenalin-secreting on the basis of overall structure. Only one of the six tumors, through clinical investigation, was classified as essentially noradrenalin-secreting. Some cells of this tumor displayed the characteristics of neuronal elements.
In all six tumors examined the main tumor cells contained a nearly constant number of osmiophilic granula. In some cells of one of the noradrenalin-adrenalin-secreting tumors these granula were all about the same size and had a limited range of light and dark contrast. In the cells of the other tumors, however, the size and contrast of the granula varied. Because of this variation, it was impossible to differentiate between secreting and non-secreting cells or to classify them into synthesizing and storage cells. The difference between light and dark cells is due, not to the presence of osmiophilic granula, but to differences in the density of the basic substance.
Zusammenfassung
6 operativ entfernte Phäochromocytome werden elektronenmikro-skopisch untersucht. 5 davon lassen sich trotz verschiedener Anteile unterschiedlicher Zelltypen in ihrem Aufbau als einheitliche Gruppe einordnen. Im 6. Tumor, dem einzigen, der praktisch nur Noradrenalin ausgeschieden hat, zeigt ein Teil der Tumorzellen Merkmale neuronaler Zellelemente. Die Haupttumorzellen aller 6 Fälle gemeinsam werden durch ihre innerhalb bestimmter Variationsbreiten konstanten Zahl phäochromer Granula gekennzeichnet. In einem Fall zeigten die phäochromen Granula in den einzelnen Zellen eine bestimmte Größe und einen bestimmten Kontrastreichtum. Die Haupttumorzellen in den übrigen Fällen zeigen alle möglichen Variationen der phäochromen Granula in ein- und demselben Zellelement. Die Vermischung der verschiedenen Typen phäochromer Granula macht eine Unterscheidung von Zellen nach ihrem Sekretionstyp unmöglich. Auch eine Unterscheidung zwischen speichernden Zellen konnte nicht festgestellt werden. Die auffallenden Unterschiede zwischen hellen und dunklen Zellen sind auf die verschiedene Dichte des Grundplasmas und nicht auf die phäochromen Granula zurückzuführen.
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Cervós-Navarro, J., Bayer, J.M. & Käser, H. Ultrastrukturelle Differenzierung der Phäochromocytome. Virchows Arch. Abt. A Path. Anat. 361, 51–69 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00543550
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00543550