title: Histopathological sinus node classification and its relation to coronary atherosclerosis using an atherometric system.
abstract: Studies were conducted into 100 consecutive subjects (autopsy material), 53 men and 43 women between 31 and 70 years old, who had died a natural death. The HUDSON-procedure was used for histopathological analysis of the cardiac conducting system (CCS). About 48 microscopic slides of each subject, including sinus node (SN) tissue, were inspected by 4 pathologists in a blind study. The findings were classified by 3 different groups according to histopathological data of the SN, viz. changes and distribution of P and T cells, stroma, artery, and innervation of SN. The 3 major epicardial branches of coronary arteries were prepared for morphometric studies by WHO standards. A digitizer coupled to a microcomputer LTEL (Cuba, IBM-compatible) was used for quantitative evaluation of atherosclerotic lesions (AL), and all data were subsequently processed on the same computer, using a statistical commercial package (Number Cruncher Statistical System) for results. An atherometric system was used and proved to be a properly standardized methodology, suitable to characterize AL in any vascular sector or group of patients. The most remarkable results were as follows: Three-group classification was useful in estimating the association between pathomorphological data of SN and coronary atherosclerosis. The atherometric system proved to be a powerful tool to study and characterize atherosclerotic lesions in coronary arteries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Hospital, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Fernández-Britto
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Vikhert
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paramio
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Madan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008838:Microcomputers; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology; D012849:Sinoatrial Node / Q000473:pathology*; D012984:Software