The Origin of the Ponceau-fuchsinophilic Cells of the Human Adrenal Cortex and Their Progressive and Regressive Changes in the Fetal and Postnatal Periods

Abstract

In the cortex of fetal adrenals the ponceau-fuchsinophil granules of Vines were demonstrated only after the establishment of the fundamental structures of the adrenal cortex, at a fetal length of 20 mm. No sex difference was confirmed in the incidence rate of the granule-containing cells. The rate of positive incidence was highest in the 2d and 3d fetal months, fell gradually with the advancement of pregnancy and became very low in the later half of the fetal period. The granule-containing cells were generally distributed in the whole cortical layers in the earlier fetal period, but became localized in the fetal cortex in the later fetal period.