hyalinization
Noun: A pathological process or condition in which normal tissue develops a glassy, translucent, homogeneous appearance, similar to hyaline cartilage or glass. It refers specifically to the state of becoming hyaline, often due to the infiltration or deposition of a homogeneous, acellular substance.
This is a specialized medical term used primarily in pathology and histology to describe a specific degenerative change observed in tissues under a microscope. It is used to report findings in biopsies and autopsies.
- The histological examination revealed hyalinization of the glomerular capillaries in the kidney biopsy.
- Marked arterial hyalinization is a common finding in long-standing hypertension and diabetes mellitus.
- The pathologist noted the hyalinization of the connective tissue within the scar.
- Hyalinization of arterioles: A classic pathological change where the walls of small arteries (arterioles) thicken and take on a homogeneous, pink, glassy appearance under the microscope, often associated with chronic high blood pressure or diabetes.
- Hyalinization of collagen: A process where collagen fibers lose their fibrillar structure and fuse into a homogeneous mass, which can occur in old scars or certain tumors.
- Hyalinisation (noun): The British English spelling of 'hyalinization'.
- Hyalinize (verb, rare): To undergo or cause to undergo hyalinization.
- Hyaline (adjective/noun): The glassy, translucent substance or material itself. is a common example.
- Hyaline degeneration: A nearly synonymous term often used interchangeably in medical contexts to describe the same process.
- Vitreous degeneration: A less common synonym emphasizing the glass-like (vitreous) appearance.
This term is highly technical and is almost exclusively used in medical, scientific, and academic writing. It is not used in everyday conversation. The core concept is the transformation of tissue into a homogeneous, structureless, glassy substance.
- the state of being hyaline or having become hyaline
- the patient's arterioles showed marked hyalinization