AN ASSESSMENT OF THE DISTORTION OF ARTERIES DUE TO SECTIONING IN ENDOMYOCARDIAL BIOPSIES

Arteries are usually studied morphometrically after pressurized fixati on and resin embedding. These procedures are impracticable when dealin g with diagnostic biopsies. The accuracy of arterial morphometry is de termined partly by the degree of tissue distortion during section prep aration. The axial ratios of 7340 arteries mere measured in 353 endomy ocardial biopsies from 23 patients and then compared with those expect ed from mathematical modelling. An excess of elliptical arteries was f ound. The distribution of orientation of the long axes of these best f itted a simulated 10 per cent linear distortion in the direction of mi crotomy. In conclusion, these results suggest that although there is s ome tissue distortion during sectioning, useful data may be obtained f rom morphometry of arteries in routinely processed endomyocardial biop sies.