X-RAY MICROSCOPY 



description of microradiographical findings 

 was given for normal and pathological hu- 

 man tissues. Special attention must be given 

 to the work of J. Lamarque and Guilbert 

 (81) where parallel histological and histo- 

 radiographical study was carried out on three 

 tumors: skin epithelioma, mixed tumor of 

 breast in dog, and sweat gland epithelioma 

 of the scalp. The authors gave several histo- 

 radiographical signs typical for each of these 

 neoplasms. They found, for instance, that 

 all negatively charged parts of stroma or cells 

 do not absorb x-rays (e.g., chromatin of the 

 normal nucleus) , but degenerated chromatin 

 of cancer cells does absorb. They described 

 also the microradiographical image of kerato- 

 derma. But their data are very scanty as 

 evidence on the importance of microradiog- 

 raphy in this kind of research. Further stud- 

 ies are necessary. Godlewski in a series of 

 works (71) (72) (73) described microradio- 

 graphical image of some cancer cells, giant 

 cells, etc. These works are very important 

 but, again, observations are very scarce. 



Other studies include those who apply the 

 "reference system" proposed by Engstrom 

 (53). The most important work on the 

 subject was done in Sweden. The deter- 

 mination of the dry weight of cytological 

 structures (Lindstrom, 1954) (84), the 

 localization and amount of water in biolog- 

 ical samples (Engstrom and Glick, 1956) 

 (59), the distribution of mass and lipides in 

 a single nerve fiber (Engstrom and Liithy, 

 1949 and 1950) (61) (62), the changes in dry 

 weight of squamous epithelium during car- 

 cinogenesis (Lindstrom and Moberger, 1954) 

 (85) the composition of the nerve cell 

 (Brattgard and Hyden, 1954) (36) are the 

 contributions most widely known in which 

 the reference system of Engstrom was ap- 

 plied. In the United States Fitzgerald (63) 

 made use of the same method and has deter- 

 mined in several works the mass of cancer 

 cells and found that their mass is much 

 smaller than that of normal cells of the 

 same organ. 



Summarizing, one can say that despite 

 some interesting contributions to our knowl- 

 edge, microradiography of tissues yer se has 

 been too little used and then only with 

 scanty material. Further research is neces- 

 sary in this most important field. 



Microra<liography of Ti.ssues Low in 

 Absorbing X-rays with the Use of X-ray 

 Coloring Media. Microvasography {Micrn- 

 vasoradiography , Microangiograph.ij) . Some 

 work has been done in normal morphology 

 of blood vessels as seen in microvasographs. 

 The first one was published by Priwes (97) 

 in USSR on the subject of blood circulation 

 in tubular bones. Making use of microvaso- 

 graphs, he refuted Lexer's data that epi- 

 physial arteries are terminal and he brought 

 evidence that epiphysial and diaphysial 

 vessels anastomose. This work is important 

 in understanding the aetiology of osteomy- 

 elitis. Subsequent years brought microvaso- 

 graphic data on normal liver, kidney and 

 lungs by several authors, summarized by 

 Barclay in his monograph on microarteri- 

 ography (7). In the United States micro- 

 vasography is under study by Tirman and 

 Banker (109) and Meschan (88) with co- 

 workers. The first presented micro vaso- 

 graphical patterns of nearly all rabbit organs. 

 It is necessary to stress here that these 

 authors started microvasography with very 

 simple means using ordinary diagnostic 

 apparatus, and only later did they purchase 

 special equipment. Meschan et al. conducted 

 a thorough study of minute brain vessels. 



A very detailed investigation of liver 

 vessels was carried out in Portugal by Ay res 

 de Sousa and Cruz (105). With micro- 

 vasography they studied not only the mor- 

 phology of liver vessels but were able to form 

 some conclusions about their function. In 

 Belgiiun, Blickman et al. (20) also investi- 

 gated vascular patterns in the liver of rats 

 as seen in microradiographs, and came to 

 conclusions similar to those of Sousa and 

 Cruz. They paid special attention to inter- 



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