Abstract
Summary
The effect of total abdominal irradiation on the development of intraabdominal adhesions in the rat was investigated. Intraabdominal adhesions were induced by surgically stripping the serosa of the antimesenteric border of the ileum, or by intraperitoneal injection of colloidal silica dioxide. The groups were subdivided. Total abdominal irradiation was given to one subgroup, 350 rads on day 1. The second subgroup received 350 rads per day for 3 days. The third group was not irradiated and served as the control. Postoperative irradiation did diminish the amount of intestine adhesions; however, it did not prevent or enhance the extent of intestine adhesion.
The parietal, liver, and intestine peritoneum responded differently to injury and irradiation. Adhesions rarely formed to the parietal peritoneum, frequently formed to the interlobar liver surface, and uniformly formed to the intestine. Liver capsule adhesions and skin union formed with the development of mature collagen that was strongly birefringent to polarized light. Intestine adhesions formed with amorphous basophilic collagen that was weakly birefringent to polarized light. Irradiation diminished the amount of adhesion scar to the intestine but not to the liver or the parietal peritoneum.
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