プランマー病における甲状腺の微小血管構築

抄録

A 54-year-old female complained of anterior neck mass. An elastic hard mass, 4×3cm in size, was noted on the left lobe of the thyroid gland. As the thyroid functional test, scintigram revealed Plummer's disease, surgical removal was carried out. In this study the vascular architecture of Plummer's disease were reproduced with methacrylate casting medium andobserved under a scanning electron microscope. The vascular architecture of Plummer's disease is not composed of distinct basket-like capillary networks but dense capillary networks. The dilatation of the capillaries may indicate the hyperfunctional condition of the thyroid gland, and the small protrusions may represent the initial stages of the neogenesis of the capillaries, that is, these findings suggest that this thyroid nodule is still growing. The rich vascular bed and the sinusoidal capillaries of Plummer's disease could make it advantageous to absorb the thyroid hormones.