title: Granular cell reaction to surgical glove powder.
abstract: The histopathologic features characteristic of the inflammatory response associated with starch powder used as a lubricant for surgical gloves were investigated by implanting starch granules into 3 separate sites on the right side of 8 male Wistar rats. On the opposite side, a sham-operated site and sites implanted with talc were used as controls. Two rats were killed at 1, 2, 3 & 4-week intervals and tissue from the implanted sites was assessed for distinctive features. It was found that a consistent feature of the starch-implanted sites was the presence of large histiocytes containing prominent PAS-positive, diastase-resistant inclusions. These cells were not found in the control sites and, thus, were considered characteristic of starch contamination in tissue, even in the absence of identifiable starch granules. A possible clinical case of reaction to starch, identified retrospectively, using these results is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000473:pathology; D005549:Foreign-Body Reaction / Q000473:pathology*; D005882:Gingival Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D005932:Gloves, Surgical; D006801:Humans; D008278:Magnesium Sulfate / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011208:Powders / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D013213:Starch / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D011208:Powders; D008278:Magnesium Sulfate; D013213:Starch