Diagnostic Electron Microscopy

John W. Stirling, The Centre for Ultrastructural Pathology, Adelaide, Australia

Diagnostic Electron Microscopy: A Practical Guide to Interpretation and Technique summarises the current interpretational applications of TEM in diagnostic pathology. This concise and accessible volume provides a working guide to the main, or most useful, applications of the technique including practical topics of concern to laboratory scientists, brief guides to traditional tissue and microbiological preparation techniques, microwave processing, digital imaging and measurement uncertainty.
 
The text features both a screening and interpretational guide for TEM diagnostic applications and current TEM diagnostic tissue preparation methods pertinent to all clinical electron microscope units worldwide. Containing high-quality representative images, this up-to-date text includes detailed information on the most important diagnostic applications of transmission electron microscopy as well as instructions for specific tissues and current basic preparative techniques.
 
The book is relevant to trainee pathologists and practising pathologists who are expected to understand and evaluate/screen tissues by TEM. In addition, technical and scientific staff involved in tissue preparation and diagnostic tissue evaluation/screening by TEM will find this text useful.

List of Contributors xxiii
 
Preface xxvii
 
1 Renal Disease 1
John W. Stirling and Alan Curry
 
1.1 The Role of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) in Renal Diagnostics 1
 
1.2 Ultrastructural Evaluation and Interpretation 2
 
1.3 The Normal Glomerulus 3
 
1.4 Ultrastructural Diagnostic Features 5
 
1.5 Granular and Amorphous Deposits 6
 
1.6 Organised Immune-Related Fibrils and Tubules 7
 
1.7 Nonspecific Fibrils 11
 
1.8 General and Nonspecific Inclusions and Deposits 11
 
1.9 Fibrin 12
 
1.10 Tubuloreticular Bodies (Tubuloreticular Inclusions) 12
 
1.11 The Glomerular Basement Membrane 13
 
1.12 The Mesangial Matrix 14
 
1.13 Cellular Components of the Glomerulus 14
 
1.14 Mesangial Cells 16
 
1.15 The Capillary Lumen 16
 
1.16 The Ultrastructural Pathology of the Major Glomerular Diseases 16
 
1.17 Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis 17
 
1.18 Pauci-Immune Glomerulonephritis (ANCA-Associated Glomerulonephritis) 18
 
1.19 Anti-GBM Glomerulonephritis (Goodpasture Syndrome) 19
 
1.20 Diseases with Structural GBM Changes 19
 
1.21 Thin Basement Membrane Disease 21
 
1.22 Diabetic Nephropathy 22
 
1.23 Thrombotic Microangiopathy: Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome and Thrombotic Thrombocytopaenic
 
Purpura 24
 
1.24 Diseases with Granular Deposits 25
 
1.25 Acute Post-infectious Glomerulonephritis 29
 
1.26 IgA Nephropathy (Berger's Disease) and Henoch-Schonlein Purpura Nephritis 30
 
1.27 Mesangiocapillary Glomerulonephritis (Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis) 32
 
1.28 Systemic Lupus Erythematosus 36
 
1.29 Monoclonal Immunoglobulin Deposition Disease 37
 
1.30 Diseases with Organised Deposits 40
 
1.31 Fibrillary Glomerulonephritis 41
 
1.32 Immunotactoid Glomerulonephritis (Immunotactoid GN) 42
 
1.33 Cryoglobulinaemic Glomerulonephritis 45
 
1.34 Hereditary Metabolic Storage Disorders 46
 
1.35 Fabry's Disease 46
 
1.36 Lecithin Cholesterol Acyltransferase Deficiency 47
 
References 47
 
2 Diagnostic Transmission Electron Microscopy of Transplant Renal Biopsies 55
John Brealey
 
2.1 Introduction 55
 
2.2 The Transplant Renal Biopsy 56
 
2.3 Indications for Electron Microscopy of Transplant Kidney 56
 
References 84
 
3 The Use of Electron Microscopy in Skeletal Muscle Pathology 89
Elizabeth Curtis and Caroline Sewry
 
3.1 Introduction 89
 
3.2 Normal Muscle 91
 
3.3 Pathological Changes 96
 
References 113
 
4 The Diagnostic Electron Microscopy of Nerve 117
Rosalind King
 
4.1 Introduction 117
 
4.2 Tissue Processing 118
 
4.3 Normal Nerve Ultrastructure 120
 
4.4 Pathological Ultrastructural Features 125
 
4.5 Artefact 145
 
4.6 Conclusions 147
 
References 148
 
5 The Diagnostic Electron Microscopy of Tumours 153
Brian Eyden
 
5.1 Introduction 153
 
5.2 Principles and Procedures for Diagnosing Tumours by Electron Microscopy 154
 
5.3 Organelles and Groups of Cell Structures Defining Cellular Differentiation 162
 
References 178
 
6 Microbial Ultrastructure 181
Alan Curry
 
6.1 Introduction 181
 
6.2 Practical Guidance 182
 
6.3 Viruses 183
 
6.4 Current Use of EM in Virology 185
 
6.5 Viruses in Thin Sections of Cells or Tissues 186
 
6.6 Bacteria 191
 
6.7 Fungal Organisms 194
 
6.8 Microsporidia 196
 
6.9 Paras