病理学的所見よりみた日本人の頸動脈粥腫の特徴

米国例との比較検討

抄録

The authors compared Japanese and American plaque in order to clarify the histological differences between the two groups.
The authors divided 72 Japanese specimens obtained by carotid endarterectomy into 2 groups. Group A contains 36 patients who had been operated on between 1976 and 1986 and Group B consisted of 36 patients who had been operated on between 1987 and 1990. The authors added, as Group C, 36 American specimens obtained between 1982 and 1986. There were no significant differences between Group A and Group B. The result indicates that the nature of pathology has not changed in the last 10 to 20 years in Japanese, although the living conditions of Japanese have changed very much in these years. There were two significant differences between Japanese and American specimens, i. e. the existence of old hemorrhage and the existence of calcifications. Intimal old hemorrhage was observed in only 6 cases of Group A and in only 8 cases of Group B, but 28 cases were observed in Group C. Calcifications were observed in only 5 cases of Group A, in only 4 cases of Group B, but in 15 cases of Group C. The result indicates that Japanese plaque occurs in the earlier stage of the disease and American plaque occurs in the advanced stage. Smooth muscle cell proliferation was observed more in American plaque. Therefore, the American plaque might be more 'tight' than Japanese plaque.