Liquefactive necrosis is a form of necrosis where there is transformation of the tissue into a liquid viscous mass. In liquefactive necrosis, the affected cell is completely digested by hydrolytic enzymes leading to a soft, circumscribed lesion which can consist of fluid with remains of necrotic tissue or pus. Please Note: You can also scroll through stacks with your mouse wheel or the keyboard arrow keys.
Updating… Please wait. Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again. Thank you for updating your details. Log In. In this section of upper lobe there are multiple areas of early abscess formation arrows. Note the circumscribed whitish-tan lesions. These lesions are filled with white blood cells.
This low-power photomicrograph of lung from this case demonstrates one of the abscesses arrows. Note that the material inside the abscess has been expelled. This higher-power photomicrograph of lung demonstrates the edge of the abscess. Note the loss of material from the center of the abscess 1 and loose necrotic material that has not been expelled 2.
This material is made up of inflammatory cells primarily dead white blood cells and necrotic lung tissue. This is a low-power photomicrograph of lung tissue containing a large abscess.
The center of the abscess contains necrotic debris 1 and there is a rim of viable inflammatory cells arrows surrounding this abscess. This high-power photomicrograph shows the center of an abscess containing neutrophils and necrotic debris. A high-power photomicrograph of lung from this case demonstrates a small abscess full of inflammatory cells primarily neutrophils arrows.
There is a bacterial colony in the center of this abscess 1. Liquefactive necrosis. This high-power photomicrograph demonstrates a small abscess arrow with a necrotic center.
Category : Pathology. Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies. Namespaces Home Page Discussion. It only takes a minute to sign up. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Liquefactive necrosis is a type of necrosis uniquely observed in brain.
This occurs due to breakdown of cellular proteins by the action of hydrolytic enzymes. In other parts of the body, usually a different form-coagulative necrosis is seen.
Liquefactive necrosis is indeed only seen in the brain in the absence of infection, but it is also seen in the case of some bacterial infections. The reason is that liquefactive necrosis is, as you said, caused by the release of digestive enzymes and constituents of neutrophils.
Bacteria will, under some circumstances, release those enzymes, causing the cells to be devoured. The fact that liquefactive necrosis is seen in the brain in the absence of bacterial infection is in part due to the fact that neurons have a higher lysosomal content, leading to a higher tendency toward autolysis, and in part due to a high concentration of neutrophils which swarm into an affected area.
Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. There are many types of morphological patterns that necrosis can present itself. These are coagulative, liquefactive, caseous, gangrenous which can be dry or wet, fat and fibrinoid. Oncosis occurs when the mitochondria within a cell are damaged beyond recovery by toxins or hypoxia.
ATP is thus not being made, which dysregulate the ionic concentration within the cell as the ionic pumps are no longer functioning. Sodium moves into the cell and water follow, making the cell explode. The content that has been released will attract immune cells which will initiate inflammation and release reactive oxygen species ROS and enzymes such as proteases. The surrounding tissues may be damaged, and therefore organs may fail to work. In a way, necrosis alerts the immune system to clean through phagocytosis and start local inflammation.
However, if the collateral damage is more significant than the process of healing, necrosis will thus increase in size, killing more healthy cells and decrease surrounding body function, which may cause organ failure.
Decomposing tissue will increase in number, and micro-organisms may start to replicate and dominate as the immune system struggle to contain the necrosis. Surgery is thus utilised to remove the necrotic tissue by a procedure called debridement and let the healthy tissue take over and heal. Depending on the severity, time, type and extent of the necrosis, the tissues may never heal back to its original function and integrity. These amazing histology slides and figures are from the Robbins and Cotran pathologic basis of disease , 9th ed, textbook.
Consider buying the book as the information is very relevant to the topic. Figure 1: Demonstrate necrosis of a cell.
Notice how the contents leaks everywhere which will induce inflammation and possible organ failure. Figure from: Robbins and Cotran pathologic basis of disease , 9th ed. Occurs less frequently, involves many cells, may not be localised. Abnormal and uncontrolled cell death that is associated with a pathological condition. Swelling of the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum occurs. Leakage and enzymatic digestion of neighbouring cellular contents.
Eosinophilia cell-like present cells presenting pink on a histology slide. Depending on where such as which organ and what type of damage occurred in the body, necrosis will have a specific morphological pattern. There are six distinct patterns that are identifiable, and by identifying the pattern, an underlying cause could be identified. Coagulative necrosis generally occurs due to an infarct lack of blood flow from an obstruction causing ischaemia and can occur in all the cells of the body except the brain.
The heart, kidney, adrenal glands or spleen are good examples of coagulative necrosis. Cells that undergo coagulative necrosis can become dry, hard, and white. What is interesting is that gel-like appearance occurs in dead tissues, but the architecture of the cells is maintained for at least some days. Coagulation occurs as the proteins are degraded and denatured, and an opaque film starts to form. Gross appearance: a pale segment may be seen in contrast to surrounding healthy tissues.
The segment may be hard to the touch. Anucleated cells cells without a nucleus should be observable with preserved cell outlines. Figure 2: Demonstrate the gross appearance of a kidney. Notice the yellow necrotic portion. Figure 3: Demonstrate the histology slide of the kidney in figure 2. The green star shows healthy cells that are less pink and have nuclei present. The blue star is a Bowman's capsule.
The yellow star indicates the necrotic portion. Notice that the architectural structure of the cell is still present, but no nuclei can be seen. You could almost draw a line between damaged and non-damaged cells.
Liquefactive necrosis can be associated from bacterial, viruses, parasites or fungal infections. Unlike coagulative necrosis, liquefactive necrosis forms a viscous liquid mass as the dead cells are being digested.
The micro-organisms can release enzymes to degrade cells and initiate an immune and inflammatory response. Cellular dissolution and digestion of dying cells may also release further enzymes, which speeds up the liquefying process. The micro-organisms stimulate the leukocyte to home-in on the necrotic area and release powerful hydrolytic enzymes such as lysozymes which causes local damage and cells to be lysed, causing a fluid phase.
The enzymes responsible for liquefaction are derived from either bacterial hydrolytic enzymes or lysosomal hydrolytic enzymes. These are proteases collagenases, elastases , DNases and lysosomal enzymes.
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