Crystal-Morphological Identification of Varicose Disease Stages of Lower Limbs

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Vein wall investigations conducted and literary data ^[5] permitted to determine veins taking an active part in hemodynamics. Before the beginning of forming unbiased factors of varicose disease vessels walls undergo certain changes, worsening their feeding and weakening venous tonicity.

Microscopic vein wall indices of the test group were within the norm. All three vein walls were distinctly conveyed, demarcated and had the same thickness along the full length (Figure 2). The internal layer – intima (1), is presented by endothelial, unstriated and connective-tissue fibers. The medial layer – media (2), is formed by 8-10 rows of muscular strata, surrounded by collagenous and elastic fibers. The external, adventitious layer (3) consisted of collagenous and elastic fibers, a small amount of longitudinally located unstriated fibers and spongiose bindweb.

Figure 2. Microscopic indices of vein wall of the test group: 1internal layer of vein – intima; 2-medial layer of vein endothelial layers of cells; 3-external, adventitious layer of vein

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The alteration of chemical composition of human organism tissues and liquids is known to be the result of pathological process, it can be fixed crystallizing the body of interest. The habitus change, concerning the norm can be used as a diagnostic factor ^[11].

Crystal-morphological researches of the crystallized vein areas of healthy people with ninhydrin spirit solution showed the crystals to have the form of semispherulites, acerate rays diverge from the centre of crystallization over the radius (1). They are thin, have the same length (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Crystallized vein areas of healthy people with ninhydrin spirit solution: 1-rays diverging from the centre of crystallization

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Vein walls investigations of patients suffering from the first stage varicose disease showed that all three layers of the vein wall were subjected to some change. There appears their thickening owing to hypertrophy of the forming cells, which leads to the vein wall node (Figure 4) and results in its lumen narrowing, blood transport problem.

Figure 4. Vein wall of the patients suffering from the first stage varicose disease: 1-endothelial layers of cells; 2-media; 3-adventitious layer of vein

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The process begins with changing structure of endothelial layers of cells (1), which retain a continuous line but obtain an edematous appearance that points to their functional activity increase.

At the first stage of the disease the crystals gain the form of spherulites. The first order branches go aside from the basal trunk (1), then interacting with the adjacent crystals complex branching starts (2). Formally one can count not only the second but the third order branches (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Crystallized vein areas of the patients with the first stage varicose disease with ninhydrin spirit solution: 1-basal trunk of spherulites; 2-complex branching rays

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This effect is the result of the crossed branches contacts of the neighboring dendrites which look fused. Under microscopic investigation chemical composition changes of the vein cells are revealed as cell hypertrophy and metabolism process increase, change substrate, it becomes viscous, and in turn it puts crystals into a special shape.

Thus the alternation of semispherulites with spherulites is marked in kinetics of crystal growth which is connected with absconded physico-chemical processes taking place in the vein walls. At that the first stage of varicose disease is not clinically exhibited ^{[12, 13, 14]}.

At the second stage of varicose disease microscopic investigations allowed to reveal a whole series of alterations, concerning control, testifying to pathological process in vascular wall. There is no distinct demarcation of layers, they lose an elastic framework, have an irregular thickness along the whole length. Endothelial cells are partly destroyed (1), and plasmalemma integrity of others is here and there disturbed, it has lesser extension due to the leveling of folds. The lysis of plasmalemma is accompanied by cytoplasm going out into the opening of the vessel (Figure 6).

Figure 6. Vein wall of the patients suffering from the second stage varicose disease: 1-partly destroyed endothelial cells of vein wall; 2-media; 3-adventitious layer of vein

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According to the literature such alterations are the starting moment of thromb forming ^{[5, 7, 9]}.

Examining vein wall structure of the patients with the second stage varicose disease the process of unstriated muscular tissue degeneration into adipose one is marked. At vein crystallization of the patients with the second stage varicose disease the crystals grow in the general form of semispherulites. However the rays are bent in spicate way, issue in six-seven from the crystallization centre (1), form additional second order branches (2, 3) (Figure 7). The rays have a complicated structure of lateral faces, in the form of thin, transparent plates located at the angle of 30 degrees.

Figure 7. Crystallized vein areas of the patients with the second stage varicose disease with ninhydrin spirit solution: 1 -the centre of crystallization; 2 -branches of secondary order of semispherulites; 3 -additional second order branches of semispherulites

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Such structure is explained by the peculiarity of adipose tissue crystallization prevailing in the vein wall in connection with replacing unstriated fibers with adipose cells.

In particular nascent as affected by adipose tissue dendrite crystallization with complicated structure of crystal ray edges is the consequence of impurities availability, which accumulates near the edges and blocks their growth.

The third stage of varicose disease is characterized by irreversible, degenerative processes. The demarcation of layers and elastic framework between them are completely absent. The layers have a different thickness along the whole length of vein. As a whole the wall gets thinner. Through the light microscope intima is not determined (1), endothelial cells are destroyed along the whole length of vein, allowing to suppose sharp decrease of protective and nutrient function of the vein wall (Figure 8).

Figure 8. Vein wall of the patients suffering from the third stage varicose disease: 1-destroyed intima; 2-media

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Significant functions belong to the endothelial layer: it forms a vessel lining, delimits blood from the environment; contributes to substance transport both towards the wall from blood and backwards. Hence it fulfils a barrier and nutrient function and is the first to react to the developing pathological processes.

However similar changes in the vein wall can cause not only varix dilatation but other diseases, or age-related changes ^[7].

So crystalomorphological method is offered for more precise differentiation of varicose disease stages.

At the third stage of varicose disease crystalforming body of interest contains an abundance of erythrocytes (considerable capillaries neoplasm contributes to). As it was clarified during the experiments on the whole blood crystallization, erythrocytes are not the areas of the crystal growth centres, they stick together and are collected in groups (2). So at the third stage the crystals are not formed or grow as single, big (1), incrassate rays (Figure 9).

The emergence of atypical forms points to drastic homeostasis disorder. At the third stage of varicose disease when irreversible degenerative processes clinically and morphologically develop in the vein wall, crystalomorphological method confirms it by visual demonstration.

4. Discussion

The process of crystal forming is known to be sensitive to the presence of impurities. This viewpoint on the crystal growth is dominant in modern crystallography.

Figure 9. Crystallized vein areas of the patients with the third stage varicose disease with ninhydrin spirit solution: 1-single, big crystals; 2-stuck together erythrocytes in groups

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