The effect of burn trauma on the microcirculatory bed of the human thalamus

: Alterations in the microcirculatory bed of the thalamus resulting from thermal trauma manifest themselves as dystonia of the arteriolar-venular part of the microcirculatory bed, sharply decreased density of functionally active capillaries, area of their exchange surface and amount of blood in them. Clear distinctions are observed in stages of burn disease. At the stage of burn shock all morphometric parameters of the capillary bed are decreased in anterior, medial, ventro-lateral and posterior (pulvinar) nuclei of the thalamus. At the stage of toxemia in anterior and medial nuclei the parameters were at the level of the control group or even higher. On the contrary, in ventro-lateral and posterior nuclei they remained considerably lower as compared with control figures. It is likely to be associated with the fact that the pathways of pain, tactile and temperature sensitivity which are the first to react to burn trauma are switched over in these groups of nuclei.