Histology, Histochemistry and Scanning Electron Microscopy of Paraepiglottic Tonsil of the Young Pigs

Abstract

The paraepiglottic tonsils lined by stratified squamous non-keratinized epithelium showed large sized crypt along which the epithelium was modified into reticular type. The reticular epithelium showed reduced number of cell rows and at places only a single row of cells was visible where it was difficult to discern the epithelial and lymphoid cells because of heavy infiltration of lymphoid cells. The lymphoid tissue mainly present in the form of lymphoid follicles was constituted by different sized lymphocytes, plasma cells and macrophages. The interfollicular areas were additionally having small blood capillaries and high endothelial venules. The glandular acini were strongly PAS positive indicating the presence of glycogen, weakly sulfated acidic mucopolysaccharides, hyaluronic acid and sialomucins, and predominance of neutral mucopolysaccharides. SEM revealed folded mucosa and microplicae of varying patterns. The cut surface of the tonsil revealed depth of the crypt, the surface epithelium and the lymphoid tissue in the form of lymphoid follicles.