Veterinary Pathology - Cell Degeneration

Introduction

Fatty Change Versus Fatty Infiltration:

The terms fatty change and fatty infiltration are often confused and used inappropriately.

Fatty change is an intracellular accumulation of lipid resulting from sublethal cellular injury and metabolic dysfunction.

Fatty infiltration, however, refers to the replacement of necrotic or atrophic tissue by adipocytes. In this case, the cells containing fat are new cells which grow into the area and occupy the space in the tissue left by shrinkage or loss of cells. Fatty infiltration is commonly seen in the involuted thymus and mammary gland and in atrophic or scarred skeletal muscles.

Cases

Carbontetrachloride

Review Questions