Necrosis

Coagulative necrosis is a form of necrosis in which the underlying tissue architecture is preserved for at least several days (Fig. 1–9). The affected tissues take on a firm texture. Presumably the injury denatures not only structural proteins but also enzymes, thereby blocking the proteolysis of the dead cells; as a result, eosinophilic, anucleate cells may persist for days or weeks. Leukocytes are recruited
to the site of necrosis, and the dead cells are digested by the action of lysosomal enzymes of the leukocytes. The cellular debris is then removed by phagocytosis. Coagulative necrosis is characteristic of infarcts (areas of ischemic necrosis) in all of the solid organs except the brain.

Liquefactive necrosis is seen in focal bacterial or, occasionally, fungal infections, because microbes stimulate the accumulation of inflammatory cells and the enzymes of leukocytes digest (“liquefy”) the tissue. For obscure reasons, hypoxic death of cells within the central nervous system often evokes liquefactive necrosis Whatever the pathogenesis, the dead cells are completely digested, transforming the tissue into a liquid viscous mass. Eventually, the digested tissue is removed by phagocytes. If the process was initiated by acute inflammation, as in a bacterial infection, the material is frequently creamy yellow and is called pus.

Gangrenous necrosis is not a distinctive pattern of cell death, the term is still commonly used in clinical practice. It usually refers to the condition of a limb, generally the lower leg, that has lost its blood supply and has undergone coagulative necrosis involving multiple tissue layers. When bacterial infection is superimposed, coagulative necrosis is modified by the liquefactive action of the bacteria and the attracted leukocytes (resulting in so-called wet gangrene).

Caseous necrosis is encountered most often in foci of tuberculous infection. Caseous means “cheese-like,” referring to the friable yellow-white appearance of the area of necrosis. On microscopic  xamination, the necrotic focus appears as a collection of fragmented or lysed cells with an amorphous granular pink appearance in the usual H&E-stained tissue. Unlike with coagulative necrosis, the tissue architecture is completely obliterated and cellular outlines cannot be discerned. The area of caseous necrosis is often enclosed within a distinctive inflammatory border; this appearance is characteristic of a focus of inflammation known as a granuloma

Fat necrosis refers to focal areas of fat destruction, typically resulting from release of activated pancreatic lipases into the substance of the pancreas and the peritoneal cavity. This occurs in the calamitous abdominal emergency known as acute pancreatitis. In this disorder, pancreatic enzymes that have leaked out of acinar cells