Archives d'anatomie, d'histologie et d'embryologie normales et experimentales最新文献

The Alsatian medieval chronicles report numerous examples of monstrous births; with the development of printing, fly sheets appear in order to relate exceptional phenomena. In 1652, a chair of anatomy was created; embryology and teratology, at that time solely morphological sciences, depended on anatomy. In 1670, the first anatomical theatre was built, and as early as 1672, a meticulous dissection, exceptional at that time, was performed on a thoracodymus double monster born in Strasbourg. In 1919, when the Faculty of Medicine was reorganized after Alsace was restored to France, for the first time in France, a specific chair and an institute of embryology and teratology were created. This is the beginning of the famous experimental embryology. In 1945, a chair of zoology and experimental embryology was created at the Faculty of Sciences. F. Keibel (1861-1929), P. Ancel (1873-1961), P. Vintemberger (1891-1983), J. Benoit (1896-1982), and E. Wolff, were among the famous embryologists who worked in Strasbourg.

A rare variant of the origin of the median and the musculocutaneous nerves is reported. The lateral fasciculus of the brachial plexus pierced the coracobrachialis muscle, gave muscular branches to the coracobrachialis and biceps brachii, and then divided at the middle of the upper arm in two terminal branches. The first one trifurcated, giving two branches for the brachialis muscle, and the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve; the second one corresponded to the lateral root of the median nerve. This lateral root joined the medial root, and gave the proper median nerve. No accurate description of a similar case has been found in the literature. The peculiarity of this observation leads us to propound a new classification, in five types, of the variations of these two nerves reported in the literature.

The origin and course of the collateral sesamoidean (suspensory navicular) ligament of the horse and ass and its attachment to the distal sesamoid bone were studied by means of dissection. Particular attention was given to the topographic relations between this ligament and the deep digital flexor tendon. Numerous sensitive nerve endings are present in this anatomical district. The free and encapsulated nerve endings, displayed by impregnating techniques, are mostly concentrated in the ligament tract connected to the above-named tendon and close to its attachment to the distal sesamoid angle. The nerve endings are identified as typical Pacini, Pacini-like and Golgi-Mazzoni corpuscles on account of their morphological features and are found isolated, grouped to form flower-sprays, lined up along the course of a single nerve fibre or grouped to originate poikilomorphous fibres.

The vascular pedicles of Bichat's fat pad are numerous. The most important artery is the buccal artery, branch of the maxillary artery, which supplies the principal part and the six extensions of the buccal fat pad. Not only many other branches of the maxillary artery, but also branches of the facial artery and of the superficial temporal artery send thin vessels to cross the capsule and supply Bichat's fat pad, body and extensions, from periphery to center. The microcirculation of Bichat's fat pad shows a network almost similar with those of the other zones of white adipose tissue, but the capillary meshes are smaller and more tightened, the capillaries have a bigger diameter and several "basket-like" structures are to be find beneath the capsule.

The relative growth of brain weight was studied in 23 Brazilian human fixed fetuses of known age ranging from 9th to 12th weeks post-conception using the allometric method: Y = aXb. The brain weight (grams) was correlated to the fetal parameters of growth: gestational age (weeks post-conception), cephalic perimeter (millimeters) and fetal weight (grams). The brain weight growth presented negative allometry relative to fetal age (b = 0.87) and cephalic perimeter (b = 2.46) and positive allometry relative to gestational age (b = 6.65). These data are important to compare the fetal growth after ultrasonic investigation.

The cartilages of vestibulum nasi in rats of different ages (newborns, 1 week, 1 month and 12 months old) were studied immunohistochemically using monoclonal antibodies against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and S-100 protein. The immunoreaction for both GFAP and S-100 protein results positive in a variable number of chondrocytes. The number of chondrocytes displaying GFAP-like immunoreaction does not change during development and maturation, whereas those showing S-100 protein-like immunoreactivity increase from birth to the adult state. The formation of cartilaginous tissue from neuroectodermic cells of neural crest has been postulated by several authors and our results strongly support these opinions; moreover, according to present findings S-100 protein could be involved in chondroid tissue formation.

Three cases of multiple anomalies involving the vessels and nerves of the axilla are reported. The main common characteristic between them was the unilateral existence of a superficial brachial artery. The other arterial variations encountered were mostly represented by an assembling of some of the usual branches of the axillary artery in a common trunk which we called thoracdorso-subscapular trunk. In two cases, this trunk gave rise to the posterior circumflex humeral artery. Several nervous anomalies accompanied these atypical vascular patterns. The medial fasciculus of the brachial plexus was absent in one subject and an aberrant course of the brachial artery through the median loop was then observed. The two other cadavers showed variations in the distribution of the intermediate trunk and lateral fasciculus of the plexus. Embryologically, the persistence of various segmental arteries in the axilla seems to be responsible for the described anomalies. Otherwise, the present study indicates that the segmental origin of the axillary artery and its pattern of branching may determine the arrangement of the brachial plexus during the fetal development.

An image analysing procedure for the shape characterisation in osteology is described. We used expansion in Fourier series of an equiangular polar representation of the contour. Fourier analysis is an information preserving technique, and it is therefore possible to reconstruct the original contour from the shape descriptors (Fourier coefficients and descriptors). The properties of the truncated expansion of the Fourier series can be used for smoothing effect and noise reduction, for interpolated reconstruction, and for data compression. Fourier analysis also allows a quantitative description of the shape. The first components describe the gross feature, the following ones the fine details.

Sixteen healthy mature ducks of both sexes were used in the present study. The injection of a polymerizing material was made via the posterior vena cava and, after a complete corrosion, casts were obtained for the examination of the entire venal network of the kidneys. Similar injections were made in a limited number of fowls, in order to facilitate the comparison between our findings in the duck and those in the fowl. The renal portal system as well as the renal veins of the duck were identified and illustrated in detail. The anatomical relation of the renal portal system to the renal veins and to the coccygomesenteric vein was examined and evaluated. From the comparison of the findings in the duck and fowl, the main differences in the duck were found to be the following: the cranial portal vein was rudimentary, the distance between the two caudal portal veins as well as that between the two renal veins was short, the posterior part of the caudal renal portal vein and the renal vein were located superficially and ventrally to the caudal lobe of the kidney, and the distance between the caudal renal portal vein and the homolateral vein was also short.

The blood supply of the corpus callosum in Man is studied in 20 brains by injecting the vascular system with gelatinous indian ink. The arterial vascularization of the corpus callosum is derived, although in an unequal way, from both of the arterial systems of the brain: the carotid system and the vertebral-basilar system. The carotid system contributes mainly to this supply by the anterior cerebral artery which is the main artery of the corpus callosum. It accessorily contributes to it by the anterior communicating artery which gives off an inconstant artery called median artery of the corpus callosum. The vertebral-basilar system contributes to the blood supply of the corpus callosum by the terminal branches and by choroidal branches of the posterior cerebral artery. These various arteries give off perforating arteries which are direct or indirect, short, of middle length or long. Inside the corpus callosum, these various arteries give off numerous terminal and collateral branches which run between the nervous fibers. They anastomose with homologous neighbouring branches to form a characteristic vascular network. The arrangement of this network is in close connection with the disposition and the orientation of the commisural fibers which form the different parts of the corpus callosum.