[Histopathological study on fat necrosis with comparison between agonal stage and acute pancreatitis]

A histopathological study on fat necrosis with a comparison between patients in agonal stage and those with acute pancreatitis was presented. Fat necrosis was observed in 15 out of 56 autopsied cases (26.8%) which were selected randomly from the autopsy file. Fat necrosis was frequently stained blue or purple with Nile blue stain, suggestive of acid lipid. The necrosis was usually accompanied by fibrin thrombi in the capillaries and reparative foam cells, nor hemorrhage and hemosiderin deposition. In acute pancreatitis fat necrosis also reacted blue or purple with Nile blue stain in 8 out of 9 patients. Reparative reaction was composed of granulation tissue in 6 patients, frequently with organized thrombosis in the veins. Fat necrosis was accompanied by fibrin thrombi and either hemorrhage or hemosiderin deposition. Therefore, differences in both hemorrhage or hemosiderin deposition and reparative change were observed in fat necrosis between patients in agonal stage and those with acute pancreatitis.