The adhesion of thromboplastic tumour emboli to vessel walls in vivo.

Abstract

The ultrastructure of adherent tumour emboli in vivo was examined using suspensions of a transplantable thymic lymphoma in mice and Walker 256 carcinoma in rats, injected into the inferior vena cava following mechanical damage to its wall. Two types of adherent tumour emboli were observed and these were characterized by the presence or absence of damage to the underlying vessel wall. Where the endothelium was intact the tumour cells were attached to platelets and to a relatively thin layer of fibrin or fibrin-like material which enclosed the tumour-platelet aggregate.