Histologic and Histometric Examination of Spleen in Geese (Anser anser)

The aim of this study was to examine the histometrical and histological structures of goose (Anser anser) spleen. Six healthy female geese were used as material. Tissue samples taken from the spleen were processed routinely, and were then stained with H E, Crossman’s Triple stain and Toluidine blue stain. The spleen surrounded by capsules composed of connective tissue and parts of the capsules were observed increasingly thinning into the spleen as trabeculae. The red pulp area was distinguishable from the white pulp inside the organ; further, the lymph follicles appeared clearly within the white pulp. Histometric measurements revealed that the thickness of the capsules surrounding the organ ranged from 18 to 28 μm. The average thickness of the capsules was measured as 22 μm. The average number of lymph follicles was found to be 2.4 in 1.07 mm^2. The average width and length of the lymph follicles were measured as 113 μm and 144 μm, respectively. The average diameter of the mast cells was found to be 6 μm. The average number of mast cells was found to be 1.4 in 1.07 mm^2. Although the histological structures of the geese spleens seemed very similar to those of other animals in several respects, but some specific properties of geese spleens being more similar to that of mammalians were also observed.