Histopathological Growth Pattern, Proteolysis and Angiogenesis in Chemonaive Patients Resected for Multiple Colorectal Liver Metastases
Figure 1
Gordon-Sweet’s reticulin and Gomori trichrome stainings of liver metastases. The growth patterns observed in liver metastases are represented by a cartoon (a), (d), and (g). (a): desmoplastic growth pattern, (d): pushing growth pattern, (g): replacement growth pattern. Sections from a patient with a desmoplastic growth pattern are represented in (b) by Gordon-Sweet’s reticulin staining and in (c) by Gomori trichrome staining. The desmoplastic stroma is visualised as black lines in (b). In Gomori trichrome staining, collagen turns blue, which is visualised in (c), in the collagen rich desmoplastic stroma (St). The cancer cells (Ca) are red with black nuclei and the liver parenchyma (LP) is visualised by the red cytoplasma stain. Portal tracts, in the upper right corner contains collagen rich tissue, and is blue. Sections from a patient with a pushing growth pattern are represented in (e) by Gordon-Sweet’s reticulin staining and in (f) by Gomori trichrome staining. It can be observed that no collagen rich stroma is present at the tumour periphery (black arrows) for liver metastases with a pushing growth pattern. Sections from a patient with a replacement growth pattern are represented in (h) by Gordon-Sweet’s reticulin staining and in (i) by Gomori trichrome staining. Like in pushing growth pattern, also replacement growth pattern has no desmoplastic stroma at the invasive front (black arrows). The portal tract, rich in collagen is blue (black arrowhead). In (h), it is hard to tell where the tumour periphery is, but when looking at (i), it is obvious where the cancer cells (Ca) and liver parenchyma (LP) meet. Bar: 200 μm.
