Zytologische Beobachtungen an der hyperplastischen Nebennierenrinde des Menschen

Summary Clinical observations and the light and electron microscopic appearance of the adrenal cortex are described in a case of Cushing's disease associated with adrenocortical hyperplasia and a basophilic adenoma of the pituitary gland. The electron microscopic investigation concentrates upon the occurrence of osmiophil material in the different cytoplasmic compartments of the cell type rich in organelles and relatively poor in paraplasmic inclusions. It seems that the observation of osmiophil material in the perinuclear space, the mitochondrial matrix, Golgi vacuoles, and cytoplasmic vesicles has been made possible by a rather long fixation in Wohlfarth-Bottermann's chromium-osmium fixative. Mitochondria and related particles (named X-Einschlüsse) may contain a light center with a few dense filaments and masses resembling those described by other authors as being of deoxyribonucleic acid nature. Relatively large Golgi complexes are found, sometimes in close topographic relation with a centriole. A large population of osmiophil bodies (lipid droplets, pigment granules, microbodies) is described. Apart from these findings the cytoplasmic organization in the tissue studied is similar to that of the adrenal cortex as described in other mammals. The observations are discussed with respect to hypotheses about lipid droplet formation and to the possibility of artifacts due to preparation procedures.

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Herrn Prof. Dr. med. W. Bargmann zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet. — Herrn Prof. Dr. E. Uehlinger, Direktor des Pathologischen Instituts der Universität Zürich, danken wir für die Überlassung des Materials und für die freundlicherweise zur Verfügung gestellte pathologisch-anatomische Diagnose, dem Schweizerischen Nationalfonds für die Unterstützung und Frau Jäger, Mlle. Challamel und Herrn Krieger für die Ausführung der histologischen und photographischen Arbeiten.