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| | * [[Liver - Anatomy & Physiology|Liver]] | | * [[Liver - Anatomy & Physiology|Liver]] |
| | ** This is the main organ involved in fatty change. | | ** This is the main organ involved in fatty change. |
| − | ** May be greatly increased in size. | + | ** May be greatly increased in size with rounded edges. |
| | ** Is tan to yellowish in colour. | | ** Is tan to yellowish in colour. |
| | *** Is normally reddish brown. | | *** Is normally reddish brown. |
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| | *** I.e. those muscles furthest away from the blood supply. | | *** I.e. those muscles furthest away from the blood supply. |
| | ** Contractile ability is reduced, and blood is therefore not pumped efficiently. | | ** Contractile ability is reduced, and blood is therefore not pumped efficiently. |
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| | ===Histological Appearance of Fatty Change=== | | ===Histological Appearance of Fatty Change=== |
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| − | * The fat either appears as globules or is contained in varying sizes of vacuoles in the cytoplasm. | + | * Fat appears as clear colourless vacuoles of varying sizes in the cell cytoplasm. |
| | ** In the heart, fat appears as groups of tiny vacuoles dispersed along the myofibrils. | | ** In the heart, fat appears as groups of tiny vacuoles dispersed along the myofibrils. |
| | ** In the [[Liver - Anatomy & Physiology|liver]] and kidney, vacuoles tend to coalesce to form larger ones. | | ** In the [[Liver - Anatomy & Physiology|liver]] and kidney, vacuoles tend to coalesce to form larger ones. |
| − | *** One or more large globules may fill the cytoplasm. | + | *** One or more large vacuoles may fill the cytoplasm. |
| | **** The nucleus is displaced to the periphery of the cell. | | **** The nucleus is displaced to the periphery of the cell. |
| | * The nucleus remains normal. | | * The nucleus remains normal. |
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| | ** Stains commonly used include Sudan III, Sudan IV, and Oil Red O. | | ** Stains commonly used include Sudan III, Sudan IV, and Oil Red O. |
| | *** Stain fat varying shades of orange to red. | | *** Stain fat varying shades of orange to red. |
| − | ** Sections must be prepared differently to the routine paraffin embedding (used e.g. in H&E staining). | + | ** The strong solvents used in paraffin embedding dissolve the fat out of the cell. |
| − | *** The strong solvents used in paraffin embedding dissolve the fat out of the cell.
| + | *** Sections must therefore be prepared differently to the routine paraffin embedding (used e.g. in H&E staining). |
| − | *** When staining for fat, the tissue to be examined is frozen and sectioned in a cryostat before being stained. | + | *** When staining for fat, the tissue to be examined is frozen and sectioned in a cryostat before being stained. |
| | **** These sections are more than twice as thick as those attained by sectioning paraffin blocks | | **** These sections are more than twice as thick as those attained by sectioning paraffin blocks |
| | ***** There may be some overlap of cells on the section. | | ***** There may be some overlap of cells on the section. |