Currently, a number of approaches exist for determining braincase shape and its classification variants. Yet, classical methods fail to capture the full three-dimensional characteristics of a skull, whereas newer methods are exceedingly labor-intensive, demand substantial effort, and rely on specialized, rare, and highly costly instruments. The authors of the present article propose an integrative assessment of braincase shape, based on a combination of craniometric measurement results and cranioscopic characteristics.

The aim of the study was to investigate the capabilities of an integrative method for braincase shape assessment in revealing typological and sex-related patterns of its structure in the norm and in deformation.

Material and methods. The study was carried out on 631 documented skulls of individuals from the European part of Russia, representing the first and second periods of mature adulthood. Braincase shape was assessed by determining the cranial breadth-length and height-length indices, and by evaluating cranioscopic features related to sexual dimorphism and the presence of deformities, as well as descriptive forms of the cranial vault.

Results. Nine integrated craniometric forms of the braincase were examined, each associated with distinct cranioscopic characteristics, including those related to sex. The brachy-hypsicranial form of the neurocranium predominates (35.8%), followed in descending order by: brachy-orthocranic (20.8%), meso-orthocranic (20.3%), meso-hypsicranic (10.3%), meso-chamaecranic (5.9%), brachy-chamaecranic (2.7%), dolicho-chamaecranic (2.0%), dolicho-orthocranic (1.9%), and dolicho-hypsicranic (0.3%). The highest frequency of braincase deformities (46%) was found among the dolicho-chamaecranic group, attributed to craniosynostoses, platycrania, and plagiocephaly. The integrative assessment of braincase shape was shown to be effective in detecting the presence of deformities.

Conclusion. Assessment of braincase shape based solely on a single index is inadequate and insufficient. Classifying skulls by integrated craniometric forms yields more homogeneous samples than the use of only a single craniometric index (with Pearson's correlation coefficient rising to 0.8–0.9). Each of the nine described integrated forms of a skull exhibits specific cranioscopic features, primarily related to sex.

The article describes changes in the topographic anatomy of the common carotid arteries and internal jugular veins after thyroidectomy.

The aim of the study was to describe changes in the anatomy and topography of the vascular bundle of the medial triangle of the neck after thyroidectomy.

Material and methods. The study included a comprehensive MRI analysis of the neck in 74 patients with thyroid disease and concomitant cervical compression syndrome. Mean age: 37.4±9.2 years. Mean thyroid volume: 109±11 cm3. The tomograms were evaluated before thyroidectomy and at 2, 6, and 12 months after surgery. The dimensional parameters of the vessels of the medial triangle of the neck and their displacement relative to selected reference lines were studied.

Results. Evaluation of preoperative neck tomograms showed that the topography of the right and left vascular bundles was consistent with normal neck anatomy. This can be attributed to the predominantly anterior expansion of the enlarged thyroid gland. Post-thyroidectomy axial tomograms revealed anteromedial displacement of the common carotid arteries, with no change in their shape or diameter. In the late postoperative period, the internal jugular veins migrated anteriorly and laterally; notably, the diameter of the left internal jugular vein increased twofold.

Conclusion. The described post-thyroidectomy vascular displacements in the neck hold fundamental significance. These data must be considered during revision surgery of the thyroid gland and cervical organs. Furthermore, they may provide a foundation for functional investigations in the postoperative period.

Extravascular macrocapsules represent a possible method for soft tissue defect replacement in the setting of a shortage of autologous tissues or when standard flaps cannot be used. The aim of the study was a morphofunctional evaluation of vascular condition and blood flow parameters at the site of bioengineered construct implantation, employing histological and tomographic examination methods.

Material and methods. The experiment was performed on 12 Wistar rats divided into 4 groups: Group 1 – empty 3D macrocapsule (n=3); Group 2 – 3D macrocapsule with bone marrow (n=3); Group 3 – 3D macrocapsule with bone marrow and nonwoven matrix (n=3); Group 4 – control group of sham-operated animals (n=3). One rat served as a donor of syngeneic bone marrow from the femoral bones. Implantation was performed onto the femoral neurovascular bundle. Assessment of the surgical site condition was carried out on days 3, 7, and 14. After necropsy on day 30, histological and morphometric evaluation of the vascular wall was performed using standard hematoxylin–eosin and Mallory staining. The thickness and morphology of the intima and media were assessed, along with the intima-to-media ratio. MRI examination with gadobutrol contrast enhancement was performed, followed by assessment of vascular patency and tissue perfusion parameters (Ktrans, Kep, Ve).

Results. Positive healing dynamics and the absence of signs of inflammation were observed in the implantation zone. In all groups, the vascular wall retained its typical three-layer structure, with no changes in the lumen, no evidence of media fibrosis, and no formation of pronounced intimal hyperplasia. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated preserved main blood flow and suggested enhanced perfusion of the tissue-engineered constructs placed within the 3D macrocapsule.

Conclusion. Implantation of all versions of extravascular macrocapsules onto the neurovascular bundle does not induce significant morphological changes or impair the systemic circulation of the femoral artery.

Gastric cancer represents a heterogeneous group of tumors with distinct molecular mechanisms of development. One of the many molecular genetic alterations found in gastric cancer is inactivation of the O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) gene.

The aim of the study was to evaluate MGMT protein expression in chronic gastritis as a potential predictive marker for gastric cancer risk.

Material and methods. The study material consisted of biopsy and surgical specimens of the gastric mucosa. The first group included 62 cases of sporadic gastric cancer, each represented by one tumor tissue fragment and one fragment from a distant zone of tumor growth. The second group comprised 58 gastric mucosal samples obtained during esophagogastroduodenoscopy from patients with dyspeptic complaints. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on paraffin sections of all specimens using mouse monoclonal antibodies against the MGMT protein (Diagnostic Bio Systems, USA; clone MT3.1, dilution 1:100) and the PolyVuePlus HRP/DAB detection system (Diagnostic Bio Systems, USA).

Results. In the gastric cancer samples, a marked decrease in the MGMT protein index was observed, down to 4 [2; 8] points. In the gastric mucosal fragments from the distant zone in the first group, a pronounced reduction in the MGMT protein index was also found, down to 4 [2; 6] points. In the second group of gastric mucosal biopsies, the MGMT protein index value remained at a high level — 9 [9; 12] points. Comparison of the distribution of MGMT protein index values demonstrated no differences between the gastric cancer samples and the distant-zone gastric mucosa (p = 0.56). At the same time, the decrease in the MGMT protein index in the distant-zone samples was statistically significantly different (p < 0.001) from the preserved level of MGMT protein expression in the biopsies of the second group.

Conclusion. The statistically significant decrease in the MGMT protein level in the distant zone of tumor growth compared with morphologically comparable gastric mucosa in chronic gastritis may serve as a potential predictor of gastric cancer risk.

Abstract. The annually increasing need for liver transplantation against the background of donor shortage determines the relevance of developing split transplantation, in which a divided organ is implanted into several recipients. The success of such interventions directly depends on the accuracy of preoperative volumetry of both the transplanted portion and the remaining parenchyma. Calculation errors of 8% or more are associated with high risks of post-transplant liver failure. In the absence of imaging capabilities, liver volume can be estimated using anthropometric formulas; however, their accuracy for the Russian population has not been previously studied.

The aim of the study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the accuracy of formulas based on anthropometric parameters for calculating liver volume.

Material and methods. An observational crosssectional anatomical study of the liver was conducted in 102 deceased individuals of both sexes aged 18–59 years, divided into two age groups (18–44 years and 45–59 years). The reference liver volume was determined using the fluid displacement method. Volume was calculated using 14 anthropometric formulas. Accuracy was assessed by the mean absolute error (MAE), with subsequent ranking of the formulas by accuracy. Additionally, the median absolute error (MeAE) was calculated, followed by comparison of error distributions using the Mann–Whitney test. To identify the relationship between anthropometric parameters (height, body weight, BMI) and morphometric characteristics of the liver (weight, volume), correlation analysis was performed, with the strength of association assessed using the Chaddock scale.

Results. In males, a marked positive correlation was found between liver weight and BMI in both groups (r=0.65 and r=0.58). In females, this association was moderate (18– 44 years, r=0.48) and weak (45–59 years, r=0.35). An increase in BMI by one unit was accompanied by an increase in liver weight of 9–12 g. High accuracy (MAE ≥ 100 mL) and statistically significant asymmetry in error distribution (p < 0.05).

Conclusion. The most accurate formulas for calculating liver volume in the Russian population are those by Yu H.C., et al. (2004) and Hashimoto T., et al. (2006). Sex and age are significant factors influencing liver weight and volume, which should be taken into account when selecting formulas based on anthropometric parameters.

Lipomatosis is a degenerative process characterized by the appearance and progressive accumulation of mature adipose tissue cells within the structure of axillary lymph nodes. Despite the prevalence of this phenomenon, data on the morphology and causes of lipomatosis remain limited, and information regarding its association with age is contradictory.

The aim of the study was to provide a morphological characterization of lipomatosis in axillary lymph nodes of women in late adulthood, elderly, and senile periods, and to assess the relationship between its severity and age.

Material and methods. The study was conducted on material obtained from women in late adulthood, elderly, and senile periods. Histological examination with hematoxylin and eosin staining, microphotography, and subsequent morphometric analysis were performed to calculate the proportion of adipose tissue in the structure of axillary lymph nodes. The obtained data were subjected to statistical processing using the Kruskal–Wallis, Shapiro–Wilk, Spearman, and chi-square tests.

Results. The prevalence of lipomatosis in the examined women was 95.7%, though qualitatively the phenomenon presented polymorphically. The study proposed a grading system for lipomatosis: absent (0%), minimal (0.1–15%). A morphological description was provided for each category. Statistical analysis results showed no dependence of lipomatosis on age.

Conclusion. In axillary lymph nodes of women in late adulthood, elderly, and senile periods, the process of lipomatosis begins in the medullary zones. Statistical analysis showed no significant correlation between age and either the prevalence or severity of lipomatosis.

Portal hypertensive gastropathy remains an underinvestigated complication of portal hypertension, notwithstanding its frequent occurrence. The morphological features of the gastric mucosal vascular bed and the influence of various clinical factors on the progression of portal hypertensive gastropathy are currently inadequately characterized.

The aim of the study was was to examine the effect of clinical factors on the volumetric density of the vascular bed of the gastric mucosa during the development of portal hypertensive gastropathy.

Material and methods. The study materials comprised gastric mucosal specimens obtained from patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis at N.I. Pirogov Samara City Clinical Hospital No. 1 between July 2022 and May 2024, including both autopsy (n=43) and biopsy specimens (n=27). Macroscopic evaluation of the gastric mucosa was conducted using data from endoscopic examination and macroscopic description of the gastric wall obtained at autopsy. Histological examination was performed in accordance with standard procedures. Morphometric analysis was carried out by means of gastric mucosal microphotography and manual tracing of vessel lumens, followed by calculation of their count and ross-sectional area. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using nonparametric statistical techniques.

Results. Portal hypertensive gastropathy is characterized by a significant increase in the cross-sectional area of vessels in the antral region and in the vessel count in the gastric body. These indices should be considered the principal morphological alterations of the gastric mucosal vascular bed in portal hypertensive gastropathy.

Conclusion. The indicators identified during the study demonstrate correlation with the severity of liver cirrhosis as assessed by the Child–Pugh score and with macroscopic evaluation based on the Baveno II criteria. Patients presenting with esophageal varices exhibit more pronounced gastric mucosal alterations compared to those without varices. Sex- and age-related factors, as well as viral hepatitis status, do not significantly influence gastric mucosal changes in portal hypertensive gastropathy.

Traditionally, human anatomy studies the form and structure of the body in the standard anatomical position, which may not be physiologically relevant and does not meet the practical needs of medical specialists. This article presents a new approach to the in vivo study of positional topographic human anatomy, which takes into account changes in the position of anatomical structures depending on body posture. This approach is based on the foundational work of Leonardo da Vinci and prominent Russian scientists (N.A. Bernstein), who studied human movement from anatomical and biomechanical perspectives. Modern imaging methods, such as multislice computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, make it possible to visualize anatomical structures in living subjects in various body positions, providing objective data for understanding three-dimensional anatomy and planning various stages of surgical interventions, especially minimally invasive ones. Studies of the upper limb and neck demonstrate the relevance of further development of in vivo positional topographic anatomy. Understanding the mechanisms and identifying patterns of displacement of anatomical structures with changes in body position allow for optimization of surgical manipulations, minimization of the risks of iatrogenesis, and ultimately improvement of patient outcomes. In particular, the combination of virtual surgical planning with three-dimensional models and augmented reality technologies for visualizing the deep compartments of the neck opens up fundamentally new possibilities for minimally invasive surgery and oncological surgery in the head and neck region. Preliminary studies indicate significant differences between morphological data obtained in the standard anatomical position and in various physiological positions of body parts. Thus, in vivo positional topographic anatomy, which has gained new momentum thanks to modern methods of in vivo visualization of anatomical structures, appears to be a fundamentally new and practically important direction in the study of human anatomy, one that will help solve a wide range of applied medical problems in the near future.

Xanthogranulomatous inflammation of the uterine mucosa is an exceedingly rare pathological condition characterized by the infiltration of the endometrial tissue by foamy histiocytic elements (xanthoma cells) with a variable admixture of associated multinucleated giant cells, other chronic inflammatory cells, and, in some cases, areas of necrosis, calcifications, and hemosiderin granules. Scientific publications providing detailed descriptions of such cases are extremely scarce in the literature, and reported instances are typically associated with challenging clinical diagnosis and management of endometrial carcinoma. A search of available scientific publications revealed no reports detailing this condition in the postpartum period.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical and morphological diagnostic criteria and pathogenetic features of chronic xanthogranulomatous endometritis in a 29-year-old woman during the late puerperium, based on a rare case analysis, with particular reference to their manifestation under conditions of endometrial involutional changes.

Material and methods. A pathomorphological examination was performed on material obtained by vacuum aspiration from the uterine cavity. The analysis included standard hematoxylin and eosin staining, additional histochemical staining using Perl's method (Perls' stain), and immunohistochemical staining with monoclonal antibodies against CD68.

Results. The disease was characterized by resistance to standard antibiotic therapy, and the diagnosis was confirmed morphologically following uterine curettage. The histopathological picture of the endometrium revealed a productive tissue inflammatory reaction featuring an accumulation of foamy histiocytes within the endometrial stroma, intermixed with acute and chronic inflammatory cells, against a background of a persistent endocervical glandular polyp. The article provides an in-depth analysis of the pathogenetic mechanisms of this condition, emphasizing the role of cervical canal obstruction by the endocervical polyp in the morphogenesis of postpartum xanthogranulomatous endometritis. The critical importance of timely histopathological examination for establishing a correct diagnosis and determining an appropriate management strategy for women of reproductive age is underscored.

This paper addresses the problem of peri- and intravascular invasion in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast, not otherwise specified. A method for detecting intravascular invasion in breast cancer is proposed, which contributes to a more reliable assessment of the risk of tumor progression. This phenomenon, associated with hematogenous dissemination, including metastases to the brain nd bones, is frequently underrecognized in routine histopathological examination owing to the limitations of conventional light microscopy.

The aim of the study was a development of a pathological diagnostic method for detecting perivascular and intravascular tumor invasion in invasive breast carcinoma of no special type (IC NST).

Results. The method consists of two stages. In the first stage, histological diagnosis is performed using hematoxylin and eosin staining, after which the presence or absence of tumor cells in the lumen of blood vessels is determined. Then, in the second stage, an immunohistochemical study is carried out using antibodies to CD₃₁ — a marker of blood vessel endothelium — and AE1/AE3 antibodies to pan-cytokeratin, which stain blood vessel cells and tumor cells in different colors (double staining method). The presence of tumor cells in the lumen of blood vessels is then determined. If intravascular invasion is identified at either stage, there is a high probability of tumor progression. If the absence of intravascular invasion is established at both stages, this is assessed as a low probability of tumor progression. The detection of intravascular invasion correlated with an unfavorable prognosis and served as the basis for prescribing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and expanding the extent of lymph node dissection. Conclusion. The proposed approach allows for more accurate stratification of patients into risk groups, including those with negative lymph node status, and for optimization of treatment strategy.

The article is devoted to the analysis of the contribution of the renowned Soviet and Russian neurohistologist, Professor and Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation Vadim Nikolaevich Shvalev (1929–2023) to the development of issues concerning the morphofunctional organization of the autonomic nervous system. The main objects of his research were the structures of the autonomic nervous system innervating the organs of the urinary system, the cardiovascular system, as well as the digestive and immunogenesis organs. He formulated a fundamental concept of the periodization of autonomic nervous system development in the ontogenesis of humans and mammals, in which he distinguished three stages — the pre-mediator, mediator, and post-mediator stages. He identified the sources of innervation of the kidney and urinary tract in vertebrates and traced the stages of differentiation of the neural structures of the kidney and urinary tract in animals and humans throughout phylogenesis and ontogenesis. V.N. Shvalev obtained new facts on the histochemical analysis of autonomic nervous system structures in the heart; along with cholinergic and adrenergic plexuses, purinergic nerve endings were identified in the heart. He established the patterns of age-related changes in the cardiac ganglia and adrenergic nerve plexuses. He formulated a fundamental and applied concept, the essence of which lies in the fact that the cardiovascular system is characterized by the phenomenon of early involution of the adrenergic structures of the heart in humans, with the onset of this involution being detected at the age of 35–40 years. He is the founder of a major neurohistological school, whose representatives continue to develop the scientific ideas of their mentor in our country and abroad.

June 11, 2026, marks the anniversary of Professor Irina Vladimirovna Sukhodolo, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Morphology and General Pathology at Siberian State Medical University. After graduating the Faculty of General Medicine at Tomsk Medical Institute, Irina Vladimirovna entered fulltime postgraduate studies at the Department of Histology, Embryology, and Cytology of Tomsk Medical Institute I.V. Sukhodolo defended her Candidate of Sciences dissertation in 1978 and her Doctor of Sciences dissertation in 1990. Today, Professor I.V. Sukhodolo is a leading histologist and an expert in the morphology of the digestive and cardiovascular systems, having founded her own morphological research school. She has published more than 450 works, 10 monographs, and 15 teaching and methodological guides. I.V. Sukhodolo has trained an entire cohort of disciples who regard her as a professional role model; among them are 25 Candidates of Sciences and 6 Doctors of Sciences. I.V. Sukhodolo steadfastly champions the necessity of medical students studying cytology, histology, embryology, and human anatomy as an integrated discipline. Through her dedicated efforts, Siberian State Medical University became home to Russia's first Department of Morphology, where students now engage in two years of uninterrupted study across all major morphological disciplines. Professor I.V. Sukhodolo's outstanding professionalism and innate intelligence, coupled with her principled nature, zero tolerance for injustice, and exquisite taste, have earned her unquestioned authority among both colleagues and students.