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JPRAS Open Dec 2021Pacinian corpuscle hyperplasia is a pathological increase in the size (Pacinian hypertrophy) and/or density of mature Pacinian corpuscles. Although its aetiology and...
Pacinian corpuscle hyperplasia is a pathological increase in the size (Pacinian hypertrophy) and/or density of mature Pacinian corpuscles. Although its aetiology and pathogenesis remain unclear, surgery is the main treatment. Here, we report a rare case of Pacinian hypertrophy at the fingertip treated with surgical excision and reconstruction using a reverse digital artery flap. A 47-year-old man presented with injuries to his right little finger, which was wedged in a door while unloading a truck. His fingertip was amputated and stump plasty was performed. However, severe pain persisted at the fingertip for 5 months after the surgery. Therefore, the painful part of his fingertip was resected, and reconstruction was performed using a reverse digital artery flap 6 months after the injury. Haematoxylin and eosin staining of the resected specimen revealed scar tissue with foreign body reaction and mild Pacinian hypertrophy. One year has passed since the injury, and the pain has completely disappeared. The patient regained complete range of motion in his little finger and was able to resume work without any limitations. Surgical excision with sufficient margin and reconstruction with a reverse digital artery flap is a reliable method to relieve pain due to Pacinian hypertrophy at the fingertip.
PubMed: 34522755
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpra.2021.08.001 -
Experimental Brain Research Dec 2021Single cutaneous fibers were recorded in the median nerve of the deeply anesthetized rat and the receptor morphology in the forelimb glabrous skin was analyzed to...
Single cutaneous fibers were recorded in the median nerve of the deeply anesthetized rat and the receptor morphology in the forelimb glabrous skin was analyzed to establish a probable correlation between receptor anatomy and physiology. Receptor complexes in the glabrous skin of the rat forelimb were stained immunologically with antibodies NF-200 and PGP-9.5, confirming the presence of Meissner corpuscles and Merkel complexes within the dermal papilla similar to other mammals including primates. Both the Meissner corpuscles and Merkel cell complexes were sparse and located in the pyramidal-shaped palmer pads and the apex of the digit extremities. They were almost totally absent elsewhere in the glabrous skin. No Ruffini receptors or Pacinian corpuscles were found in our samples. A total of 92 cutaneous fibers were retained long enough for analysis. Thirty-five (38%) were characterized as rapidly adapting fibers (RA) and 57 (62%) were slowly adapting afferents (SA). Despite the very limited number of receptors at the tip of the digit, RA receptors outnumbered SA fibers 3.2/1.0. In contrast, SA fibers on the thenar pad outnumbered RA receptors by a ratio of 3-1. Despite the very limited number of low threshold mechanoreceptors in the glabrous skin of the rat forelimb, the prevalence of SA afferents in the palm and more frequent occurrence of RA afferents in the digit extremity suggest differences in functionality both for locomotion and object manipulation.
Topics: Animals; Forelimb; Hand; Mechanoreceptors; Median Nerve; Rats; Skin
PubMed: 34519842
DOI: 10.1007/s00221-021-06193-7 -
Anatomical Record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) Mar 2022Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) demonstrate rapid, accurate tactile abilities using their paws and facial vibrissae. Anatomical investigations of neural organization in the...
Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) demonstrate rapid, accurate tactile abilities using their paws and facial vibrissae. Anatomical investigations of neural organization in the vibrissal bed and somatosensory cortex coincide with measured sensitivity, but no studies describe sensory receptors in the paws or other regions of glabrous (i.e., hairless) skin. In this study, we use histology to assess the presence, density, and distribution of mechanoreceptors in the glabrous skin of sea otters: paws, rhinarium, lips, and flipper digits, and we use scanning electron microscopy to describe skin-surface texture and its potential effect on the transduction of mechanical stimuli. Our results confirm the presence of Merkel cells and Pacinian corpuscles, but not Meissner corpuscles, in all sea otter glabrous skin. The paws showed the highest density of Merkel cells and Pacinian corpuscles. Within the paw, relative densities of mechanoreceptor types were highest in the distal metacarpal pad and digits, which suggests that the distal paw is a tactile fovea for sea otters. In addition to the highest receptor density, the paw displayed the thickest epidermis. Rete ridges (epidermal projections into the dermis) and dermal papillae (dermal projections into the epidermis) were developed across all glabrous skin. These quantitative and qualitative descriptions of neural organization and physical features, combined with previous behavioral results, contribute to our understanding of how structure relates to function in the tactile modality. Our findings coincide with behavioral observations of sea otters, which use touch to maintain thermoregulatory integrity of their fur, explore objects, and capture visually cryptic prey.
Topics: Animals; Mechanoreceptors; Otters; Skin; Touch; Touch Perception
PubMed: 34425043
DOI: 10.1002/ar.24739 -
Pancreas Jul 2021
Topics: Animals; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; Humans; Pacinian Corpuscles; Pancreas; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Receptor, trkB; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 34398074
DOI: 10.1097/MPA.0000000000001847 -
Vibration Perception Thresholds of Skin Mechanoreceptors Are Influenced by Different Contact Forces.Journal of Clinical Medicine Jul 2021Determining vibration perception thresholds (VPT) is a central concern of clinical research and science to assess the somatosensory capacity of humans. The response of...
Determining vibration perception thresholds (VPT) is a central concern of clinical research and science to assess the somatosensory capacity of humans. The response of different mechanoreceptors to an increasing contact force has rarely been studied. We hypothesize that increasing contact force leads to a decrease in VPTs of fast-adapting mechanoreceptors in the sole of the human foot. VPTs of 10 healthy subjects were measured at 30 Hz and 200 Hz at the heel of the right foot using a vibration exciter. Contact forces were adjusted precisely between 0.3 N-9.6 N through an integrated force sensor. Significant main effects were found for frequency and contact force. Furthermore, there was a significant interaction for frequency and contact force, meaning that the influence of an increasing contact force was more obvious for the 30 Hz condition. We presume that the principles of contrast enhancement and spatial summation are valid in Meissner and Pacinian corpuscles, respectively. In addition to spatial summation, we presume an effect on Pacinian corpuscles due to their presence in the periosteum or interosseous membrane.
PubMed: 34300249
DOI: 10.3390/jcm10143083 -
Anatomical Record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) Mar 2022Odontocete cetaceans have undergone profound modifications to their integument and sensory systems and are generally thought to lack specialized exocrine glands that in...
Odontocete cetaceans have undergone profound modifications to their integument and sensory systems and are generally thought to lack specialized exocrine glands that in terrestrial mammals function to produce chemical signals (Thewissen & Nummela, 2008). Keenan-Bateman et al. (2016, 2018), though, introduced an enigmatic exocrine gland, associated with the false gill slit pigmentation pattern in Kogia breviceps. These authors provided a preliminary description of this cervical gill slit gland in their helminthological studies of the parasitic nematode, Crassicauda magna. This study offers the first detailed gross and histological description of this gland and reports upon key differences between immature and mature individuals. Investigation reveals it is a complex, compound tubuloalveolar gland with a well-defined duct that leads to a large, and expandable central chamber, which in turn leads to two caudally projecting diverticula. All regions of the gland contain branched tubular and alveolar secretory regions, although most are found in the caudal diverticula, where the secretory process is holocrine. The gland lies between slips of cutaneous muscle, and is innervated by lamellar corpuscles, resembling Pacinian's corpuscles, suggesting that its secretory product may be actively expressed into the environment. Mature K. breviceps display larger gland size, and increased functional activity in glandular tissues, as compared to immature individuals. These results demonstrate that the cervical gill slit gland of K. breviceps shares morphological features of the specialized, chemical signaling, exocrine glands of terrestrial members of the Cetartiodactyla.
Topics: Animals; Exocrine Glands; Gills; Whales
PubMed: 34288509
DOI: 10.1002/ar.24707 -
International Journal of Women's... Jun 2021Pacinian corpuscle hyperplasia typically presents as a tender nodule on the volar aspect of the palm or digit, often after trauma. Histologically, it presents as one to... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Pacinian corpuscle hyperplasia typically presents as a tender nodule on the volar aspect of the palm or digit, often after trauma. Histologically, it presents as one to multiple normal-sized to enlarged Pacinian corpuscles in the deep dermis or subcutaneous adipose tissue. Given its rarity, its pathogenesis is debated and nomenclature is poorly defined. Herein, we present a case of Pacinian corpuscle hyperplasia and review the current literature.
METHODS
A literature review was conducted using PubMed with the following search terms: Pacinian corpuscle hyperplasia, Pacinian corpuscle neuroma, Pacinioma, Pacinian corpuscle hypertrophy, and heterotopic Pacinian corpuscles. All case reports and case series were reviewed for histopathologic evidence of true Pacinian corpuscle hyperplasia. Cadaveric studies, cases without true Pacinian corpuscles, and noncutaneous cases were excluded from our analysis.
RESULTS
Sixty patients with Pacinian corpuscle hyperplasia of the hands and feet (65 cases, some with >1 location) were reviewed. The mean age of presentation was 49.5 years, and women accounted for 60% of cases. Pain was the most commonly reported symptom (55 of 65 cases; 84.6%). Forty-five cases (69.2%) were localized to a digit, most commonly the second digit (17 of 65 cases; 26.2%), and 18 of 65 cases (27.6%) affected the palm, primarily the distal palm. Surgical excision was curative in 50 of 65 cases (76.9%).
CONCLUSION
Although relatively uncommon, Pacinian corpuscle hyperplasia should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a tender nodule on the digit or distal palm, particularly after trauma.
PubMed: 34222593
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.10.005 -
JBJS Case Connector Jun 2021A 37-year-old man presented with pain and macrodactyly of a toe. Imaging and histology demonstrated findings consistent with macrodystrophia lipomatosa (MDL). We...
CASE
A 37-year-old man presented with pain and macrodactyly of a toe. Imaging and histology demonstrated findings consistent with macrodystrophia lipomatosa (MDL). We compared our findings with control tissue obtained from an identical site of a fresh-frozen cadaveric foot from the same anatomical site. Pacinian corpuscles (PCs) in the MDL tissue were increased in number, size, and shape compared with the control tissue and demonstrated edematous interstitial lamellae and vacuolar degenerative change. We also document the magnetic resonance imaging findings of the PCs.
CONCLUSION
Peculiar abnormalities of PCs in MDL underline nerve damage and may be a contributing factor in the pain associated with this unusual condition.
Topics: Adult; Fingers; Foot; Humans; Lower Extremity; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Pacinian Corpuscles
PubMed: 34129539
DOI: 10.2106/JBJS.CC.20.00785 -
Micromachines May 2021The Pacinian corpuscle is a highly sensitive mammalian sensor cell that exhibits a unique band-pass sensitivity to vibrations. The cell achieves this band-pass response...
The Pacinian corpuscle is a highly sensitive mammalian sensor cell that exhibits a unique band-pass sensitivity to vibrations. The cell achieves this band-pass response through the use of 20 to 70 elastic layers entrapping layers of viscous fluid. This paper develops and explores a scalable mechanical model of the Pacinian corpuscle and uses the model to predict the response of synthetic corpuscles, which could be the basis for future vibration sensors. The -3dB point of the biological cell is accurately mimicked using the geometries and materials available with off-the-shelf 3D printers. The artificial corpuscles here are constructed using uncured photoresist within structures printed in a commercial stereolithography (SLA) 3D printer, allowing the creation of trapped fluid layers analogous to the biological cell. Multi-layer artificial Pacinian corpuscles are vibration tested over the range of 20-3000 Hz and the response is in good agreement with the model.
PubMed: 34070189
DOI: 10.3390/mi12050574 -
Pathology Dec 2021
Topics: Aged; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Pacinian Corpuscles; Peritoneal Neoplasms; Peritoneum
PubMed: 33941381
DOI: 10.1016/j.pathol.2021.01.012