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Heart:
Tortuosity of the vessel is suggested by the multiple
luminal profiles in the one plane of section. An alternative explanation
is that this vessel has previously undergone thrombosis and then been
recanalised.
The coronary arteries have undergone hyaline
degeneration as a manifestation of arteriosclerosis
(“hardening of the arteries”). Arteriosclerosis is a common
age-related change characterised by degeneration and thickening of the
arterial wall, with loss of vessel elasticity and narrowing of the lumen.
Hyaline degeneration
refers to the microscopic appearance of deposits of amorphous, “glassy”,
pink or pale blue material in the walls of arteries or arterioles. The
material deposited can be amyloid, proteoglycans or collagen or elastin
fibres. Special stains are needed to determine the identity of the deposits.
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