Areolar tissue                                        Chart


Cell types: Fibroblast, mast, fat, plasma, pigment cells, histiocyte
 

Differential diagnosis:
Other connective tissue types such as adipose tissue or dense tissue and also spongy bone. Adipose tissue presents with considerable vacuoles in fat cells which are not the feature of areolar tissue and dense tissue are thick and compact with parallel running fibres which are more in number than the cells. Spongy bone bone does not have criss-crossing network of yellow fibers.

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Diagnostic Features:
a. Tissue is compact (liver)
b. Distinct criss-crossing network of yellow fibres and parallel running white fibres.
c. Heterogenous collection of cells, blood vessels and fibres.
d. Spaces occur in sections which suggest thin compact gland but no vacuoles in fat tissues.
e. It is found in subcutaneous regions devoid of fat such as eyelids, penis, scrotum, labia and also in muscles, blood vessels, and nerves. It also presents as mesenchyma in interior of organs.

Draw your own section here and make your diagnosis by data base selection below

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Database selection: Practical Tissue Gross

Level 1: Select  compact
Level 2: Select connective tissue from list of sclerous, muscular, connective, organ-glands and nervous tissues since there is heterogenous collection of cells and fibers.
Level 3: Select spaces with the visibility of some thinness and spaces of tissue compactness. This will select both areolar and adipose tissues.
Level 4: Select fibers (either criss-crossing or parallel) and this will eliminate adipose tissue which has no visible fibers apart from occasional septum..

Do you think this is a section of subcutaneous tissue or internal part of organ?

 

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