Abstract
To clarify the pathophysiological mechanism of crush syndrome, we analyzed histological muscle preparations taken from patients with crush syndrome. Muscle tissue was taken by biopsy from 6 patients injured in the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake which occurred 1995, 40∼50 days after the injury. The samples were analyzed using HE and other histochemical stains. In 4 of the 6 patients, typical myopathic changes such as muscle cell necrosis, regeneration, and inflammatory cell infiltration were commonly observed. Neurogenic muscular changes was observed in 3 of the 6 patients. Regenerating fiber was seen in 4 of the 6 patients, and ATPase stain revealed the presence of type 2c fibers in some of these cases. These findings show that muscle injury caused by crush syndrome is not a simple injury triggered by one episode, but is a sustained and complicated injury, in which a secondary injury mechanism might be engaged.
