PATHOMORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE ADRENAL GLAND IN PATIENTS WHO DIED FROM HEMORRHAGIC STROKE

Аннотация

Hemorrhagic stroke represents a significant cause of mortality worldwide, often accompanied by complex systemic pathophysiological changes. The adrenal glands, being highly vascularized organs crucial for stress response, may undergo specific pathomorphological alterations in patients with fatal hemorrhagic stroke. To investigate the pathomorphological changes in adrenal glands of patients who died from hemorrhagic stroke and analyze their relationship with clinical outcomes and mortality patterns. A retrospective autopsy study was conducted on 156 patients who died from hemorrhagic stroke between January 2020 and December 2023. Adrenal glands were systematically examined using histopathological analysis, immunohistochemistry, and morphometric evaluation. Clinical data including stroke severity, duration of illness, and comorbidities were correlated with pathological findings. Adrenal pathological changes were identified in 89.7% (140/156) of cases. Hemorrhagic changes were present in 62.8% of patients, with bilateral involvement in 23.1% of cases. Cortical necrosis was observed in 45.5% of patients, predominantly affecting the zona fasciculata. Medullary changes including chromaffin cell depletion were noted in 71.2% of cases. These changes appear to be related to the severity of cerebral injury and systemic complications, potentially contributing to the fatal outcome through impaired stress response mechanisms.