Norio Suwa

Stereological and Topological Analysis of Cirrhotic Livers as a Linkage of Regenerative Nodules Multiply Connected in the Form of Three-Dimensional Network

The microstructure of cirrhotic liver was assimilated by a dispersion system of spherical regenerative nodules of different raii r. By assuming some distribution function for r, a stereological method was established to characterize the different patterns of cirrhosis in three-dimensional metric terms. On the other hand, reconstruction from serial sections disclosed that the nodules were united with one another to form a ‘nodular network’ in the space. The internodular connectivity was expressed by the estimated total connectivity number pl of the liver, which was widely different according to different pattern of cirrhosis. It revealed the importance not only of metric but of non-metric analysis in dealing with a biological structure like liver cirrhosis.