A NEW METHOD FOR QUANTITATING THE MEDIAL COMPONENT OF PULMONARY-ARTERIES - THE MEASUREMENTS

  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 109  (2) , 156-162
Abstract
Current methods for quantitating the media of pulmonary arteries are inadequate in that either they produce measurements of the media and artery size that are affected by a vasoconstriction or they are complicated to use. A method was developed that overcomes these problems. It produces measurements of medial area; the artery size is expressed in terms of the total length of the internal elastic lamina. The measurements are obtained directly from histologic sections using a light microscope with a camera lucida attachment in conjunction with a microcomputer linked to a digitizing board. Repeatability of the measurements is excellent but it is essential to digitize at a magnification at which crinkles in the internal elastic lamina are clearly visible. Arteries that are considered to be digitizable are representative of the total muscular pulmonary artery population.