necrosis

[nĕ-kro´sis, ne-kro´sis] (Gr.)

the morphological changes indicative of cell death caused by enzymatic degradation.

aseptic necrosis necrosis without infection or inflammation.

acute tubular necrosis acute renal failure with mild to severe damage or necrosis of tubule cells, usually secondary to either nephrotoxicity, ischemia after major surgery, trauma (see crush syndrome), severe hypovolemia, sepsis, or burns. See also lower nephron nephrosis.

Balser's fatty necrosis gangrenous pancreatitis with omental bursitis and disseminated patches of necrosis of fatty tissues.

bridging necrosis septa of confluent necrosis bridging adjacent central veins of hepatic lobules and portal triads characteristic of subacute hepatic necrosis.

caseous necrosis caseation (def. 2).

central necrosis necrosis affecting the central portion of an affected bone, cell, or lobule of the liver.

cheesy necrosis caseation (def. 2).

coagulation necrosis death of cells, the protoplasm of the cells becoming fixed and opaque by coagulation of the protein elements, the cellular outline persisting for a long time.

colliquative necrosis liquefactive necrosis.

fat necrosis necrosis in which fat is broken down into fatty acids and glycerol, usually occurring in subcutaneous tissue as a result of trauma.

liquefactive necrosis necrosis in which the necrotic material becomes softened and liquefied.

massive hepatic necrosis massive, usually fatal, necrosis of the liver, a rare complication of viral hepatitis (fulminant hepatitis) that may also result from exposure to hepatotoxins or from drug hypersensitivity.

moist necrosis necrosis in which the dead tissue is wet and soft.

postpartum pituitary necrosis see postpartum pituitary necrosis.

selective myocardial cell necrosis myofibrillar degeneration.

subcutaneous fat necrosis of newborn a benign, self-limited disease affecting term newborns and young infants, characterized by circumscribed, indurated, nodular areas of fat necrosis. It is thought to be related to trauma on bony prominences during delivery, hypothermia, asphyxia, or maternal diabetes; it usually resolves spontaneously by 2 to 4 weeks with no scarring. Called also adiponecrosis neonatorum or subcutanea.

Zenker's necrosis hyaline degeneration and necrosis of striated muscle; called also Zenker's degeneration.

co·ag·u·la·tion ne·cro·sis

a type of necrosis in which the affected cells or tissue are converted into a dry, dull, fairly homogeneous eosinophilic mass without nuclear staining, as a result of the coagulation of protein as occurs in an infarct; microscopically, the necrotic process involves chiefly the cells, and remnants of histologic elements (for example, elastin, collagen, muscle fibers) may be recognizable, as well as "ghosts" of cells and portions of cell membranes; may be caused by heat, ischemia, and other agents that destroy tissue, including enzymes that would continue to alter the devitalized cellular substance.

coagulation necrosis

A type of necrosis caused by denaturation of intracellular proteins in response to severe injury—e.g., hypoxia, infection, ischaemia, toxins and trauma.

co·ag·u·la·tion ne·cro·sis

(kō-ag'yū-lā'shŭn nĕ-krō'sis)

A type of cell death in which the affected cells or tissue are converted into a dry, dull, homogeneous eosinophilic mass without nuclei, as a result of the coagulation of protein as occurs in an infarct.