Acta Morphologica 12. Supplementum (1963)
Proceedings of the annuel meeting of Hungarian Pathologists and Anatomists. Budapest, 1962
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF HUNGARIAN PATHOLOGISTS AND ANATOMISTS Budapest, 1962 PLENARY SESSION RELATOR E. Rosnov: Text not received P. Rácz (Department of Pathology, Municipal László Hospital, Budapest) The Experimental Pathology of Bacillary Dysentery Bacillary dysentery is one of the most important infectious diseases in Hungary, the eradication of which is a task pursued with great vigour by the Health Administration. The mortality rate of bacillary dysentery is low. Still, the elucidation of the pathogenesis of the disease requires further morphological investigations. As it has been emphasized by Anitchkov, it is impossible to clarify the pathogenesis of some infectious disease without studying its morphogenesis. There are numerous unclarified features connected with dysentery. For instance, how the shigellae reach the distal areas of the large intestine without being destroyed by gastric acidity? Why is it that, except for a very small number of cases, the small intestinal mucosa is not affected? What role is played by the pathogenic organism, by the toxic substances excreted by or released from it, in bringing about the intestinal changes? Are these changes produced directly by the vital activities of the shigellae, or they arise indirectly, due to toxic effects or to circulatory disturbances? Morphological studies in the human organism are rendered difficult by the fact that death very seldom ensues within the first few hours of the infection and therefore the early changes, so important from the point of view of pathogenesis, are examined only exceptionally. On the other hand, following death autolysis proceeds rapidly in the intestines and by the time autopsy is performed it is usually impossible to evaluate the finer mucosal changes. The experimental, so-called model diseases serve to supplement the studies made in human material. The investigations aimed at studying the pathogenesis and pathology of dysenteric infection can be divided into two groups. To the first group belong the investigations involving infection of experimental animals by way of the gastrointestinal tract, to the second belong the experiments in which the animals are infected parenterally. 1 Acta Morphologie» Suppl. XII