Electron microscopic study on the human pancreatic islets.

Numerous electron microscopic studies have been published on the pancreatic islets in a variety of animal species, but those on the normal human islets are relatively few (YOKOH, IIZUKA and KANO, 1959; EKHOLM and EDLUND, 1959; GUSEK and KRACHT, 1959, 1961; ZAGURY, BRUX, ANCLA and LEGER, 1961; LACY, 1961, 1964; LAZARUS and YOLK, 1962; BENCOSME, ALLEN and LATTA, 1963; GREIDER, ELLIOTT and ZOLLINGER, 1963; GREIDER and ELLIOTT 1964; BJORKMAN, HELLERSTROM, HELLMAN and PETERSSON 1966; on human fetus: SCHULTRICH, 1966 and LIKE, 1967). Among these authors LAZARUS and YOLK, GREIDER and ELLIOTT and BENCOSME, ALLEN and LATTA used biopsy materials taken from the uninvolved areas around pancreatic tumors. In the present study biopsy specimens taken from the normal pancreases of 5 patients undergoing surgery for diseases of other organs have been electron microscopically investigated.