SPLENIC LYMPHANGIOMA: LUMINAL SURFACE ULTRASTRUCTURE; A SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY

Abstract

A splenic lymphangioma removed from the abdom­ inal cavity during an exploratory  laparotomy in a 16 year old girl was studied by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The tumor was composed of numerous vascular chan­ nels some of which were filled with clotted lymph. SEM revealed these channels to be lined with an uniform endothelial lining composed of two mor­ phologic cell types: one with a smooth surface; the  other  with  numerous  microvilli.  The  literature on the SEM of lymphatic vessels and lymphangiomas is reviewed and compared to the splenic lymph­ angioma.