[Vascular architecture of the skin in the postmortem microangiogram]

To demonstrate the detailed vascular architecture of the skin, barium sulphate suspension was injected into the arteries of nine amputated lower limbs. Sections of skin from the foot were fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin and then examined by high resolution radiography. Subsequently histological sections were prepared and correlated with the micro-angiographic appearances. This technique provided demonstration of the detailed vascular structure of the skin with very little super imposition. The capillary loops in the papillae, the sub-papillary plexus, the glandular components (with the capillaries surrounding the sweat glands), the fine arteries and smallest veins in the cutis could be demonstrated over a prolonged course. Microangiographic and histologic sections were carried out in parallel. These eliminated artifacts and clarified the micro-angiographic appearances. The value of microangiography for demonstrating the vascularity of the skin under normal, pathological and experimental conditions is the subject of further studies.