Histopathological and Histochemical Changes of the Popliteal Artery in Diabetic Patients

Abstract

Back ground: A lot of previous researches studded the endoneural microangiopathy and small vessels diabetic pathological change, but little studded about the diabetic angiopathy of the larger vessels like popliteal artery and related diabetic risk factors .Accordingly the present work designed to study the structural and histochemical changes of the popliteal artery as one of the medium size vessels.

Objective: Evaluation of the histopathological and histochemical measurement, of the popliteal artery in diabetic male and female patients with different duration of the diseases, in comparison with normal non diabetic samples. 

Patient and methods: Histological sections, taken from amputated legs of 30 diabetic patients (8 females and 22 males) at age of (55-75) years, and 30 cadavers (4 females and 26 males) at age of (25-50) years as control group.

Results: Histological sections from the popliteal artery of diabetic patients, showed marked decrease in the diameter of the lumen, reduced thickness of tunica media and adventitia, but increase in the thickness of tunica intimae and basement membrane. The loss of endothelium in some places, cellular infiltrations in tunica media with Periodic Acid Schiff positive particles, and in more advance cases calcifications, and organized thrombus was also detected. The multiple regression analysis, showed significant effect of duration of diabetes on the diameter of the lumen, and thickness of the wall and the tunica intima and media of the popliteal artery.

Recommendation: Great vessels of diabetic patients, recommended to be examined by the available imaging technique.