title: Ultrastructural demonstration of mast cells in varicose veins of lower limbs: presence of mast cell-mediated mechanism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mast cells are suggested to play an essential role during development of varices in the lower limbs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Investigation of the ultrastructure of mast cells in varicose lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Saga Medical School, Yamamoto Surgical Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen varicose veins of 17 patients and 9 normal saphenous veins of 9 patients were examined. Patients who had undergone sclerotherapy for varices were excluded.
  
  
  METHODS
  Radical stripping surgery was performed on all varicose veins.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ultrastructural observations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In normal saphenous veins, mast cells usually singly embedded in dense collagen bundles as resident cells. They have characteristic crystalline granules of storage type. In varicose veins, mast cells show different features such as an increase of altered granules of discharging type, degranulation and intimate relationship with fibroblasts and lymphocytes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The observations suggest the presence of mast cell-mediated mechanism by releasing some mediators in the development of varices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Saga Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tokunaga
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Itoh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000473:pathology*