Histologic and histochemical changes in experimental carcinomas following cryosurgery.

Histologic and histochemical changes in experimental SCCs following cryosurgery were reported. Effects of cryosurgery on SCCs of hamster cheek pouch were classified into 3 zones; the superficial zone was the cryodestructive layer on which the cryoprobe had been attached directly to the SCC; the zone beneath this layer was the indirect cryodestructive layer; the 3rd zone was unaffected tissue in which the critical low temperature was never reached. In the superficial cryodestructive layer, tumor cells were destroyed completely and bleeding was found in the stroma. In the zone beneath it, neoplastic cells also showed morphologic and enzymatic changes indicating incomplete cellular destruction; dilatation of capillary vessels was also found. LDH isozyme pattern displayed a high level of LDH 5 in the non-treated SCC, and following cryosurgery, the high level of LDH 5 decreased and revealed an approximately normal LDH 5 pattern.